In Lava
by LittleTyrunt
Summary: Brendan Birch is the son of the famous Professor Birch of Hoenn. At 19 years of age, he has finally decided to go on his journey. Along the way, he will make new friends as well as enemies and be caught up in a struggle that threatens the very existence of humans and Pokémon alike...as well as a romance he never saw coming... Analyzing... Processing... Target locked... Deleting...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Everyone! So my name's LittleTyrunt and I am pleased to bring you my first story here on Fanfiction! I do hope that you all enjoy this because I most certainly am! I also have a Wattpad if any of you would like to follow me there. My user name is also LittleTyrunt! Just to get this out of the way, I own nothing in this book save for a few OC's. Other than that, and some plot events, Pokémon owns the content. Please enjoy! And don't forget to follow and review!**

 **Prologue**

The sun shone brightly upon Route 103, causing many a Taillow to sing. Zigzagoon skittered through the grass, quite unaware of the presence nearby. In a tall tree, there stood a bipedal reptilian creature, a Treecko. He had yellow irises with long, narrow pupils. He was green with a red underbelly and an even darker green tail. His eyes seemed to be fixed on a Zigzagoon that was munching on a few berries.

The berries were but a ploy in order to keep the fleet-footed Pokémon from escaping. The reptile glanced down to the other side of the tree to see a young man standing against the trunk. He had hazel eyes and fair skin. He wore an odd white hat with a black and red band around it that, if not inspected, could be mistaken for his hair. He had dark chocolate locks tucked inside the hat. He wore a red and black collared shirt with black and gray shorts. Topping off the ensemble, he wore a pair of black and red shoes.

The lad glanced over at the Zigzagoon and crooked his finger up at his companion in the trees as a signal. Treecko called upon the power of his element, his eyes lighting up in the process. In a swift motion, he thrust his hand downward and sent his energy into the tree. The power of nature surged through the tree, down the trunk and into the roots. Before the Zigzagoon could react, grass vines shot up from the ground and ensnared him. Treecko lept high and flipped forward, his tail coming down hard on Zigzagoon's head, sending it into a daze.

With a practiced hand, the young man fired a red and white sphere at the entangled Zigzagoon. A crimson light absorbed the critter and the ball closed up again. After a third twitch, the ball clicked and all went silent. A grin spread across the face of the lad as he made his way over and picked up the ball.

"Okay, that makes three today for dad to look at. Great job Treecko!" The young man affirmed.

Treecko nodded and lept onto his trainer's shoulder. Just then, a ringing noise caught his attention. The lad reached down and picked up a device and pressed the button to receive a call.

"Hey dad," he said casually.

"Brendan my boy! How'd it go?" Brendan's father asked cheerfully.

"We got three here for you to look at. I know how hard it was to get a Zigzagoon, but we caught one," Brendan replied.

"Good! Those slippery rascals always get away from me," replied the Professor.

"Yeah, but this one didn't. This Treecko you had bred is fantastic. Grass Knot is incredibly handy," Brendan said with a grin.

"Well, it was a birthday and graduation gift. I wanted to make sure the process went smoothly. Which reminds me, son. You've yet to get started on your own journey. Perhaps you might decide to fill up that Pokédex I gave you and collect badges as well," Birch suggested.

"Hmmm...that is something that I want to do. Oh! Dad. We have new neighbors don't we? I believe May was her name, right?" Brendan asked.

"Quite right. As a matter of fact, she should be on her way to you. She is just starting out as a trainer and says she could use some help," stated the Professor.

"Ah, well if that's the case, I'll be happy to assist. I'll wait here. I kinda wanna look for more Pokémon. Who knows? I might find something else I want," Brendan laughed.

"Sounds good son! Well, your mother needs me to help her with something. Just come home when you finish."

"Will do, dad," Brendan replied, turning off the gear.

A rustle in the trees soon caught his attention. He could hear a feminine voice as well.

"Now, where did the Professor say his son would be? Goodness...um..."

"Looking for someone?" Brendan inquired.

"Oh! Yes, perhaps you can help me. I'm trying to find someone named Brendan," the girl said with a nervous laugh.

"That'd be me. You must be May Maple," Brendan chuckled.

"Yes, and it's nice to meet you, Brendan," May replied.

"So, I heard from my old man that you were just starting out. Something about you needing help," Brendan supplied.

"Well, yeah. I've never owned a Pokémon before, and I have this Torchic, but I really need to figure out how to train him," May sighed.

"May I see him?" Brendan inquired, getting a nod from May who released the tiny bird.

Torchic materialized and then looked around. Treecko hopped down from his perch to examine him.

"You must take really good care of that Treecko. His scales are so shiny," May smiled.

"Yep, he gets plenty of sun. Now, let's take a look here. Ah, dad bred this one I think. He's been hatched for about a week. How about a battle?" Brendan queried.

May blinked. "A battle? Me? But I-"

"Don't worry, this is just for fun. Think of it as a learning experience. You want to grow close to Torchic right?"

"Well...yeah, I do," May responded.

"Then a battle is a good way to do that. So, how 'bout it?" Brendan questioned.

May thought for a moment. "Do you wanna battle, Torchic?" May asked after crouching down to his level.

"Torchic! Tooorrrr!" Torchic replied enthusiastically, turning to face the Treecko, a determined expression fixed upon his face.

"Sounds like he's all fired up. Alright then, let's have some fun Treecko!" Brendan grinned.

"Treecko Tree!" The reptilian Pokémon replied calmly, turning to face Torchic.

"Okay, since you're new, you can start. Ladies first as they say."

"Alright, I'll do my best. Torchic, use Ember!" May commanded.

"Get around it and use Pound!" Brendan countered.

Torchic inhaled deeply before firing a blast of flames, shotgun style, that spread out, forcing Treecko to have to jump. Having the superior speed, Treecko flipped over and slammed his tail hard onto the back of Torchic's head, sending him staggering forward. May cringed at the blow but did not faulter.

"Charge in and use Peck!" May ordered.

"Grass Knot!" Brendan countered.

Treecko channeled nature's energy through his body and thrust his open palm downward, injecting the power back into the earth. May watched wide-eyed as vines shot up from the ground and tangled Torchic's feet, tripping him onto his face. His beak got stuck in the ground. Treecko was sprinting in to finish the fight, and swung his tail only to stop as he was about to strike, his tail inches from Torchic's face.

"I think that's good for now. Your Torchic seems to be a bit shook up," Brendan pointed out.

May watched as her Torchic raced to her side and jumped into her waiting arms. "Yeah, that was tough," May began. "You're really good Brendan," May complimented.

"Thanks, and that wasn't so bad for your first battle. I'll let you in on a little secret," Brendan chuckled.

* * *

On the outskirts of Lavaridge Town stood a massive landmark called Mt. Chimney. Reaching 5000 feet at the summit, it is said that no view could ever compare to the beauty seen from the top of such a majestic volcano. Down the Jagged Pass, over a few ledges, and tucked away in the face of the mountain, was a hidden door. Footsteps could be heard drawing closer to it.

A woman could be seen making her way to what appeared to be a rock formation in the base of the mountain. She had lilac hair in the style of a kiddy bob cut with a fringe. Her eyes were a vibrant lavander. She wore a red hoodie with golden horns on the hood, as well as a red jacket and dress combo with an 'M' symbol on the top. She also wore matching gloves. Finishing off her outfit were a pair of black and red boots.

The woman seemed to be studying something on a device in her hand. She paused for a brief moment to hold up an emblem that matched the one engraved into the face of the mountain. A beeping noise was heard and the large formation moved aside slowly. The woman slipped inside and the door shut.

"Ah, Courtney. You're back," came the voice of a rather portly man.

The man was tall and rotund, with short black hair and red eyes. He was wearing a red hooded jacket with a black zigzag pattern on the bottom. He wore ankle boots and dark red shorts as well. He bore the same emblem as Courtney.

"Yes, I'm back..." Courtney replied hastily.

"So, did you find out anything new?" He pressed.

"No..." Courtney replied, "nothing interesting, Tabitha."

Tabitha raised a brow. "Nothing ever interests you huh?"

"Not really," Courtney quipped.

"Men?"

"Boring," Courtney replied dryly.

"What about Maxie?" Tabitha countered.

"Interesting, but old...and our leader."

"Women?" Tabitha tried.

"I'm straight..." Courtney grimaced.

"Worth a shot. Me?" Tabitha queried, only to be poked in the stomach by Courtney.

She had a disinterested expression fixed on her features. "You let yourself go...and we're co-workers. It's weird..."

"Ouch. I knew it was a no, but that was harsh," Tabitha laughed.

Courtney blinked and shrugged.

"Still mad at Damon and Jerald?" Tabitha queried, getting a blank stare from Courtney.

"They can go drown for all I care," she muttered before walking away.

Tabitha sweat-dropped. _She's still scary as hell. I guess after those two she reverted back to her cold, detached self._

* * *

"Okay, so...don't just shout random commands. Take a strategic approach, right?" May asked Brendan as they walked back into Littleroot Town.

"Uh huh. See, right now, Torchic still has room to grow. Pretty soon he'll be able to battle a lot better, if you train him of course," Brendan explained.

"I get it. The more battles he does, the stronger he becomes! I knew that. I studied a lot from my dad. He's a Gym Leader here in Hoenn," May informed.

"No kidding. Wait...Norman! That's your dad? Awesome. I heard he's pretty tough."

"Oh, he is. Trust me, I have seen him work. It's amazing," May replied cheerfully.

"This makes me want to take the League Challenge after all. I thought about it, but now I think I really want to. Hey, maybe we can compete in the League!" Brendan exclaimed.

May sweat-dropped. "I don't know about that just yet. It sounds fun, but I will need to train more if I plan on doing something that big."

"Yeah, you're right, my bad. Anyway, my family is about to have dinner soon. Tomorrow's the day I start my journey. Maybe we'll meet up along the way," Brendan beamed.

"I'd like that. Then you could show me more techniques and stuff!" May chirped, clapping her hands together.

"Sweet. Well, it was nice meeting you May. Have a good night," Brendan said as he walked towards his house.

"Same to you! Thanks for the lesson," she called back as she headed home.

* * *

Courtney sighed as she sprawled out on her mattress. The sheets matched her hair and eyes along with the blanket. Due to the heat, she dressed lightly for bed.

 _Today was okay. I guess..._

 _I think I made some progress on the study of our adversaries. Team Aqua..._

 _What a strange bunch. They haven't the slightest shred of intelligence within their ranks, and yet they manage to get in our way at times._

 _Analyzing..._

 _There must be a way to put them down. For now, I must rest. Shutting down…._


	2. Chapter 2

The sun glared through Brendan's window as he slept, causing him to stir as he felt its warm rays upon his face. He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked over to see Treecko curled up by the window, soaking up the warmth.

 _Today's the day. Dad said mom was going to prepare a good breakfast this morning,_ thought Brendan as he sniffed the air.

 _And it appears as though she has! I smell waffles! Oh please be chocolate..._

Brendan raced out of his room and into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. After about twenty minutes, he was out and dressed. His signature hat snug on his head, he slipped into his room and looked to see if Treecko was awake, only to find him right at his feet, looking up.

"Morning Treecko. Sleep well?"

"Treecko, Treeck!"

"I hear ya buddy. Mom's cooking and I'm hungry. Maybe she made some of that special Pokémon food you like?" Brendan pondered.

At this, Treecko's mouth watered. He nodded happily and hopped onto Brendan's shoulder. Filled with excitement, Brendan sat on the railing and slid down to the first floor just as his mother was poking her head around to call to him.

"Brendan Birch, how many times do I need to tell you not to do that?" She scolded.

"Sorry mom," Brendan laughed nervously.

"That's fine dear, I'll let it slide today since you're going on your journey. Just be careful okay? I won't be around to patch you up if you get hurt," she replied with concern in her voice.

Brendan nodded and walked into the dining room where his dad was already drinking his morning cup of coffee.

"Morning son, sleep well?" He asked.

"Sorta. I had to force myself to go to sleep due to the excitement of it all. This is gonna be a blast!" Brendan grinned, sitting down and letting Treecko onto the floor.

Brendan's mother placed a bowl in front of Treecko. The reptilian Pokémon began salivating as he sniffed the food. Plates filled with pancakes and waffles were set on the table. Oran Berry Jam and maple syrup were set as well. Eggs were scraped off a skillet onto the plates. Following that were tall glasses of Nomel Berry juice.

"Dig in you three," said Brendan's mother with a bright smile.

* * *

Petalburg Gym, headed by Norman Maple, was getting quite a few challengers as of late. A few managed to obtain victory while others were sent out in defeat. Norman sat in the gym with his daughter, May, discussing her journey.

"I see. So, he was pretty good you say?" Norman started, stroking his chin in thought.

"Yeah. He was able to think quickly on his feet and he hasn't even been a trainer that long either," May expressed.

"Sounds like ol' Birch has a talanted son. Don't feel bad about losing May. You are just starting out, and you have me to come to for any battle tips. Just ask your old man and you'll be just fine," Norman assured her.

"I guess..." May sighed.

"Look May, if your old man got sore after every loss, he wouldn't be able to have fun. It's not so much winning that counts. It's having fun no matter what happens. Even those who lose here get a badge if I see that they understand the most important things."

May considered this. Her father did lose sometimes. And now he was telling her that it was okay to lose. A smile spread across her features as she thought of this.

"You're right dad. Winning isn't everything. Why should I be sore after a loss? I can grow from it and get stronger. Thanks daddy!" May chirped, hugging her father tightly.

"What are dads for? Now, why don't you go on ahead. You said goodbye to your mother, right?" Norman asked.

"Yeah, we had a long talk before I left. I figured I would come see you before I headed out. I might go back into the forest and see if I can find something good!" May declared.

"That's my girl! Always the early bird huh? Take care love, I'm sure I will see you soon. I have no doubt that you will be a great trainer."

"Thanks daddy, see you soon!" May called back, exiting the gym.

* * *

Courtney sat in front of her computer, working out new plans for Team Magma's operations as well as going through old files of failed past experiments. On the floor beside her was a Ninetales. Opposite her was a large Camerupt with a collar around its neck. A peculiar stone was on the collar as well.

She deleted a few files only to stop as she came to an incomplete one. She hesitated over the delete button only to click on another file instead.

 _I can't get rid of that. There might be a way to salvage it. Getting the upper hand against Team Aqua would be much easier if I could complete its construction_ , Courtney mused, tapping her chin.

 _Team Rocket had the right idea. But I can take these blueprints and tweak the design a little more. Yes...that will do._

A knock came to her room causing her to exit the files and walk to the door. Opening it, she blinked. A grunt was there. He gave the Magma salute before speaking.

"Maxie said that you had orders for me?" The Grunt queried.

"Ah. Yes...I do," Courtney replied, folding her arms as she spoke. "In Rustburo City, the Devon Corporation is working on something that will be very beneficial to Team Aqua. We need to intercept them as I know for a fact that Archie will attempt to take it," Courtney stated.

"So, you want me to take it before Team Aqua, correct?" The Grunt replied.

"Seems we do have smart people here...yes. Do what you can to stop them. Should anyone get in your way, well...delete them..."

"Yes Commander Courtney!" The Grunt replied with a salute.

"Dismissed..."

* * *

"Alright Brendan, are you sure you're ready?" His mother inquired with a serious tone.

"Yes mom, I am. I've made up my mind and I am going to go for it," Brendan replied with a determined look.

"I believe in you son. This will be a big help to my research, and it will be fun for you as well. We all win," Professor Birch said happily.

"Oh? We all win? What do I get out of this exchange?" Mrs. Birch questioned.

Mr. Birch leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Her face suddenly got hot and she blushed.

"Well...um...oh my. Well, yes, we really do all win," she said with a flushed face.

Brendan smirked, knowing what his father was up to. Now that he thought of it, this was a good thing. They needed the private time.

"Now, are you sure you have everything? Because you can always come back if you need something," she added.

"I'm sure, mom. Don't worry okay? I'll be just fine. I had better head out though. It seems like May left super early this morning. She must be an early riser," Brendan chuckled.

"Oh! You met May! She's a sweet girl. If you see her, please tell her we said hello," Mrs. Birch beamed happily.

"Will do mom!" Brendan replied, hugging his parents tightly.

"Be safe son. And call us every now and then, we want to know what you're up to," Mr. Birch stated with a grin.

"Don't you worry, I will definitely be in touch. I'll make sure to catch loads of new Pokémon and send them to you on occasion."

"Oh he'll have a field day with that," said Mrs. Birch with a giggle.

With goodbyes having been said, Brendan hugged his family one more time before heading out the door. Treecko was clipped to his belt, as were five other Pokéballs. It was time he began his own journey and continued helping his father.

* * *

 **So yeah...**

 **That wraps up chapter one of this book. Let me know in the comments how I am doing and It helps me progress as an author if I know what people think. I like silent readers, but I REALLY love it when people give feedback. I prefer it actually. Just don't flame...**

 **If you hate the story, don't read it. Plain and simple.**

 **LittleTyrunt out!**


	3. Chapter 3

Brendan trekked along Route 101 at a leisurely pace. He was in high spirits and very excited about the adventure he'd begun. His eyes darted to and fro, searching for other possible teammates to accompany him. Several Wurmple skittered along the ground and a few Zigzagoon began to chase each other in a playful manner. Brendan had given the Pokémon he caught the previous day to his father. Zigzagoon were fun to play with, however, he needed something that could give him the edge in the first gym battle.

He knew the Gym Leader in Rustburo City as she was his teacher for the last few years. She was young, but very experienced when it came to battling. Rock-types were her specialty and he had one answer to that. A gutteral growl caused him to stop in his tracks. A smirk crossed his visage at the sound.

"So...you're back huh?" Brendan said aloud, turning to meet his newly arrived foe.

Before Brendan, crouched a canine-like Pokémon with a primarily gray fur coat, crimson eyes with yellow sclerae, and a scar that ran over the right eye, black paws and underbelly as well as a black face. Two sharp fangs protuded from his jaws. The canine continued to snarl at Brendan, electricity crackling in the process. It knew Thunder Fang. Brendan enlarged Treecko's ball and tossed it casually, releasing his friend to fight.

"I've been meaning to find you sooner. I know dad wanted you, but after seeing what you are capable of," he paused, adjusting his hat, "I want you for my team, Poochyena."

Poochyena narrowed his eyes and crouched low once more, eyes fixed upon Treecko with the utmost concentration. Treecko didn't seem intimidated by the growling canine as they had fought before. But this Poochyena refused to be caught and either fled or broke out of the ball. This time, however, would be different.

"This time, you're mine," Brendan smirked.

Poochyena howled loudly, emitting a crimson aura in the process. Without warning, he lunged toward Treecko, mouth a gape and crackling with electricity. Treecko sidestepped the assault only to be met with a hard blow to his flank by an Iron Tail. Treecko skidded to a halt and stared down his foe.

Brendan grinned as he observed the fight. He'd found his other answer to Roxanne and her team. Now it was time to seize the opportunity.

"Quick Attack!" Brendan commanded.

Treecko exploded forward on all fours, leaving a white trail in his wake as he powered into the unprepared Poochyena. This sent Poochyena sprawling backwards, causing him to dig his claws into the earth to slow his stop. His keen senses kicking in, he avoided the follow-up Pound and bit Treecko, sending a powerful shock into his body before flinging him away and charging at him.

Treecko winced as he landed on his back. He quickly rolled to the side in order to evade the oncoming tail of the canine. He sprang up and leapt high to avoid Poochyena's jaws once more, coming down quickly with a harsh Pound attack, sending Poochyena staggering again.

The two combatants were panting heavily as they were becoming exhausted. Normally, this Poochyena would turn tail and run after this long. But now that he had a good fight, he wanted more. Brendan could see it in his eyes. Poochyena howled once more, gaining another power up before racing forward again, ready to end the bout. Treecko smirked and channeled nature's energy through his body.

"Grass Knot!" Brendan called out.

Eyes aglow, Treecko slammed his hand onto the ground and released the power into the earth. The grass was now bent to Treecko's will and soon, like whips, vines lashed out at Poochyena from below and launched him forward towards Treecko who, like a batter, swung his tail hard and knocked him away, sending the pooch crashing into a tree. Poochyena let out a yelp before collapsing in exhaustion.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Brendan fired away, launching the Pokéball at the canine and snatching him up. The ball twitched violently for a moment or two before going still. Poochyena had been caught. Brendan smiled proudly and picked up the ball containing his new friend.

"We finally caught him. Good work Treecko!" Brendan praised, rubbing Treecko on his forehead.

"Tree! Treecko!"

"I hear ya buddy. That was a close fight. What do you say we get you two all patched up?"

Treecko nodded and was soon returned to his ball for a well deserved rest.

* * *

Within Team Magma's lair, several Grunts were grouped in the training area. On the arena floor were several Mightyena. They were all facing a single Ninetales who sat across from them, waiting for an attack. The owner of the Ninetales was of course, Courtney. Tabitha stood on the side acting as judge for the match.

"This is going to be a test of your progress. Should you win, you will be granted a pay raise and a possible promotion. Lose however, and you will need to redouble your training," Tabitha stated.

The Grunts grinned at the proposition.

"It's us five against the Commander, we can win this!" One grunt exclaimed.

"If we work together, she doesn't stand a chance," another smirked.

Courtney stared blankly at the five Grunts. Her analytical brain kicked into overdrive as she observed the Mightyena on the field.

Analyzing. Mightyena attack in packs most of the time. Their coordination is impeccable. However...these Mightyena won't be able to lay a paw on Ninetales.

"Begin!" Tabitha shouted.

"Spread out and attack!" One Grunt commanded.

"Use Bite!" Another called out.

"Attack with Crunch!" Three others ordered.

All five Mightyena closed in quickly, their jaws wide open and ready to strike. They all pounced only to go right through Ninetales as if she were transparent. At that moment, several more Ninetales materialized into view. The Mightyena glanced around wildly and then growled as the five Ninetales surrounded them. What they were unaware of, was the fact that this was an illusion created by Ninetales.

"Attract..." Courtney ordered.

The illusionary Ninetales all began to glow bright pink and then fired a volley of hearts towards the Mightyena. As Courtney suspected, they were all male. Hearts bulged from their eyes, causing them to stagger about, smitten by the alluring tactic.

"Fire Spin..."

Ninetales opened her mouth and loosed a powerful flame upon the love-struck canines. A swirling vortex of fire swept them off their feet and tossed them about like rag dolls. The Grunts could do nothing but stare with wide eyes and gaping mouths. A wicked grin spread across Courtney's face. She licked her lips and gave the final command.

"Inferno!"

Ninetales' mouth opened and violet flames gathered within. Suddenly, a powerful blast of fire exploded from her mouth, powering into the fiery vortex, causing it to combust. The explosion was deafening and shook the arena. Five unconscious Mightyena crashed to the ground, covered in burn marks.

Tabitha's hand went up. "That's it. Courtney wins. You five know what that means. Go heal your Pokémon and get right to training," Tabitha ordered.

Ninetales sauntered over to Courtney and nuzzled her. This was one of the few things that made her smile. Courtney knelt down and stroked her fur. She then stood back up and simply left.

"Great work as usual, Courtney," Tabitha stated with a salute.

"Thanks..." Courtney replied, exiting the arena with Ninetales in tow.

 _Still too weak. When will I find someone interesting? Someone worth my time..._

* * *

Brendan arrived in Oldale Town at mid-day. The sun was still out and there were children running about and a few trainers battling as well. Brendan stepped into the Pokémon Center and looked around. He knew the nurse here as her mother taught at the school as well.

"Hey there Brendan!" The young pinkette exclaimed as she watched him enter.

"Heya Lucia!" Brendan greeted, making his way to the counter.

"Finally on your journey I see? I was wondering when you would walk through my doors," Lucia giggled.

"Yep! I have a Treecko now and I finally caught that Poochyena that you told me about," Brendan grinned.

"Seriously!? I'm impressed Brendan. Almost every trainer that's been through here tried but came up empty. Considering it used to have a trainer, it was tougher than average," Lucia explained.

"Why did he get released in the first place? He's great," Brendan wondered.

"Well, word is, he wasn't following orders too well. Sure, he would when the fight was good, but when he was bored, he just ignored the trainer's commands. So...he ditched him after the last fight," Lucia sighed.

"Shame on him then. This Poochyena was taught some crazy stuff. Plus, I think he wanted to be caught this time," Brendan said as he handed Lucia the spheres.

"Really? Let me guess, he stuck around longer huh?" Lucia replied, taking the devices.

"Yeah, he seemed like he wanted to finish the fight. It was kinda like having a rival. It was fun!" Brendan laughed.

"Well, I am happy to hear that. Now, why don't you let me take care of these? I'll be back in about twenty minutes. So sit tight, kay?"

"Alright, will do. Thanks Lucia," Brendan replied with a bright smile.

Lucia winked back and stepped into the back to take care of Brendan's Pokémon. Aftet about twenty minutes, she came back out with his friends as good as new.

"Here ya go!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Thanks a bunch Lucia," Brendan said happily as he looked down at his friends.

Treecko hopped up onto Brendan's shoulder and Poochyena simply stared up at him.

"Hey there new partner. Seems we finally get to talk instead of fight," Brendan laughed.

Poochyena nodded.

"I'm gonna be taking the League Challenge. You get to battle against other trainers and their Pokémon with me. The opposition will get tougher every day. Are you up for the challenge?" Brendan inquired seriously.

Poochyena barked his answer and wagged his tail, a determined look fixed on his trainer.

"Then it's settled. Poochyena, let's climb to the top!" Brendan said with a grin.

"Wow...he actually seems to like you. Well done Brendan!" Lucia cheered.

"Thanks. I have a feeling he and I will get along just fine," Brendan replied with a chuckle.

"I have no doubt. Anyway, I had better get busy. Tim is going to be stopping by here soon. He promised we would go out to eat tonight," Lucia blushed.

"How is Tim by the way? I heard you two were getting serious," Brendan asked.

"Oh...very serious," Lucia grinned wickedly.

"Does this mean?"

"Three weeks ago. And boy did it feel good!" Lucia snickered. "Of course it wasn't my first rodeo though."

"Congrats," Brendan replied with a smile.

"So, Brendan? Are you still...?"

"In possession of my v-card? Yes. I don't think I'll be swiping it just yet," Brendan replied with a faint smile.

"I kinda figured. Still waiting for the right one eh?" Lucia smiled.

"Yep. Well, I should let you get back to work. I am going to head to Petalburg. Who knows, maybe I might get some tips from Norman."

"Alright Brendan. Have fun, and don't you dare be a stranger! Come see me once in a while. I miss your goofy arse," Lucia half scolded, laughing in the process.

"Don't worry, I will. See ya! And thanks again," Brendan replied, returning Poochyena, keeping Treecko out, before leaving.

* * *

Petalburg Woods was teeming with life. The trees had rich foliage and bushes were filled with plenty of berries. Wurmple snacked off of the leaves of the trees and Taillow swooped from treetop to treetop. Along the path walked May.

"Hmm...what else did dad tell me? He said that there would be a good Grass-type that could help me in here. I think he said it was a-" she was cut off as Torchic began to chirp and hop up and down.

"What is it Torchic?" May asked, turning to see what the issue was.

In the clearing, there was a small, beige colored mushroom shaped Pokémon that had green spots and a frilled bottom. Its feet were tiny and green as well.

It's a Shroomish! That's perfect!" May thought excitedly.

The Shroomish was asleep and not aware that it was about to be preyed upon.

"Torchic, use Ember!" May commanded.

Torchic fired off a shotgun blast of flames, making a direct hit on the Shroomish, startling it awake. The Shroomish ran in circles and rolled to put out the flames.

"Peck!" May ordered again.

Torchic eagerly raced forward and went in for an assault only to be sudestepped and tackled to the ground. Shroomish scuttled away and then fired a Seed Bomb, launching Torchic back after the impact. Torchic struggled to his feet and faced the Shroomish.

What was it Brendan said? Right, don't rush in. Strategically plan the next attack.

Shroomish charged forward relentlessly, aiming to ram into Torchic with great force.

Now! May thought. "Torchic, Ember!"

Torchic focused and blasted Shroomish at point blank range. Shroomish fell to the ground in a heap only to be hit with a sphere and captured. The ball twitched for a while and then went still.

"I-I did it! We did it! Ha! We got our first catch Torchic!" May exclaimed, picking up her new companion and hitching him to her belt.

"Torchic, Toorrr!"

"That was such a rush! We got a new partner! Look out Rustburo, here comes May Maple!" She shouted as she took off down the trail.

* * *

 **Bing! Another one in the books. Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to comment if you liked it! Let me know how I am doing! Please and thank you! Those wondering about the length. I use my phone and it takes a while to write 5k words or more so I split it up.**


	4. Chapter 4

It was getting dark as Brendan entered Petalburg City. It was about a six hour walk from Oldale Town, which wasn't too bad. A faint smile crossed his features as he approached. It was a small city, but it was beautiful. All seemed peaceful, until shouting broke the silence.

"Weakling! How can you call yourself a trainer?" A tall boy with blonde hair spat.

On the ground was a young boy holding a Seedot that had just been put through the ringer by a Taillow which sat upon the shoulder of the taller boy. The younger one clenched his fists and glared up at the taller one.

"I'm not weak! I'm just a beginner, that's all!" The boy scowled.

"Even beginners fight better than that. The Professor must have been stupid to hand you a Pokémon," the older one sneered.

Brendan raised a brow. Insulting his father? That wasn't going to stand.

"You know, you really should be careful about what you say. You never know who might be listening," Brendan said flatly.

"Oh really? And why should I do that? Who are you anyway? This has nothing to do with you so get out of here!" The bully jeered.

"You're right. It didn't have anything to do with me, until now that is. By the way, the man you called stupid is my father. And morons like you need to show some respect," Brendan said coldly.

"And what are you gonna do if I don't? So what if you're the son of the porky Professor? That doesn't mean anything to me," snapped the bully.

"I'm going to enjoy this..." Brendan said dully, releasing Poochyena from his containment.

"So you wanna fight huh? Fine with me. I'll trounce you too! Taillow, let's show him who's boss!" The bully roared.

The tiny bird screeched his challenge as he took to the skies. Brendan smirked, knowing that this guy had no idea what he was getting into.

"Howl!" Brendan ordered.

"Quick Attack!" The ruffian countered.

Poochyena threw his head back and let loose a bone chilling howl. Crimson aura erupted from his frame. He then braced himself for impact and was sent sliding backwards from the force of the speeding bullet of a bird. Brendan simply smirked, letting his adversary have an ego boost for drawing first blood.

"Keep going Taillow, use Wing Attack!"

Perfect. Brendan grinned as Poochyena's fangs sparked with electricity as his prey neared. "Thunder Fang!"

The bully's eyes widened. Taillow dove in and Poochyena bounded forward, jaws gaping. A sickening crunch was heard, followed by the sound of pained cries as an electric current surged through the bird.

"That's enough Poochyena. Drop him, boy," Brendan ordered calmly.

Poochyena opened his jaws and released the bird, letting him fall unconscious to the ground.

"You little-!" He was interrupted.

"Shouldn't you take care of him? If you call yourself a real trainer, that's what you should do," Brendan stated curtly.

The ruffian scowled and then returned his Taillow. "You win this time, Birch. But next time, you will be the one who goes down."

"Bring it. I'll be glad to face you again, right after you fix that attitude of yours," Brendan shot back.

"Keep dreamin'," the bully sneered before storming off.

Brendan rolled his eyes and turned to the younger kid. He wore a yellow t-shirt and a pair of blue shorts. He wore a blue hat as well.

"You okay?" Brendan inquired.

The boy smiled slightly as he looked up. "Uh huh! That was amazing! Your Poochyena is so cool!" The boy exclaimed.

"You seem rather cheery after having lost," Brendan replied, sweat-dropping at the boy's enthusiasm.

"Yeah, that guy, Rick, is a real pain. But you sure showed him!" He grinned.

"Well, he was pushing you around, and I couldn't let him get away with insulting my dad so..."

"Professor Birch is really your dad!? That's cool! My name's Billy, by the way," Billy introduced.

"Nice to meet you Billy, I'm Brendan."

"Say Brendan, this might sound out of the blue but..." Billy paused, shuffling his feet.

"What's up?" Brendan asked.

"Do you think we'll battle each other someday? Like...in the League?" Billy queried.

Brendan smiled. "When we make it there, I am certain we will. But we could battle any other time too before then."

"Ya mean it!?" Billy replied enthusiastically.

"Yep. Sure thing. Be sure to train hard and meet me there," Brendan chuckled.

"I will Brendan! And I'll become as strong as you so we can have a fun match!" Billy grinned, placing his hands behind his head.

"I'll be looking forward to that," Brendan stated with a smirk.

"Well, Seedot needs to be taken care of. I better get on that. Bye for now!" Billy called as he waved back at Brendan.

"See ya soon," Brendan replied.

Billy darted into the Pokémon Center, leaving Brendan to his own devices.

"That was quite a battle young man," came a new voice, prompting Brendan to turn around.

"Ah, Mr. Maple!" Brendan greeted. "How are you?"

"No need to be so formal Brendan. Call me Norman. By the way, how's your father?" Norman asked curiously.

"Same as ever. Jolly and really into his research," Brendan laughed.

"That does sound like him. So, my daughter tells me that you battled her. She said that you were impressive and after what I just witnessed, I would have to agree," Norman said with a grin.

"Ah, you heard about that huh? I hope she didn't take it too hard," Brendan replied nervously.

"Not at all. She said she would learn from it. She enjoyed battling you," Norman stated.

"That's a relief."

As the two were talking, the sound of a cough caught their attention. A young lad with green hair similar in coloration to a Ralts, was standing a few feet away.

"Um...e-excuse me but, I'm here for a Pokémon."

"Ah, you must be Wally! Yes, I was told you would be coming," Norman replied.

"Y-yes. I hope I came at a good time," Wally replied sheepishly.

"You're fine Wally. Now, why don't we see about getting you a Pokémon shall we? Brendan, do you mind helping out Wally here? He's never caught a Pokémon before so this is new to him," Norman informed Brendan.

"Not a problem, Mr. Ma-I mean, Norman. I'll do it," Brendan said with a smile.

"Thanks for helping me," Wally responded.

"You're welcome. Now, let's go get you a Pokémon," Brendan stated, taking Wally back to the route from which he came.

* * *

May had just exited Petalburg Woods and was now nearing Rustburo City. Her feet felt heavy from all the walking and she really wanted to rest. With Rustburo in sight, she sighed happily and strode into the city. She made her way into the Pokémon Center and plopped down on a sofa.

"My, you look exhausted," came the nurse's voice, causing May to look up.

"You said it. I'm beat," May sighed, stretching a bit before standing up to walk to the nurse.

"Where did you come from?" The nurse asked, taking May's Pokémon as they were handed to her.

"Littleroot Town. But I actually got here from Petalburg, which is where I technically began so...yeah," May laughed.

"Well, if you need a place for the night, we have room. Trainers keep flooding in as of late. It must be that time again," laughed the nurse.

"You mean the League Challenge? Yeah...I'm working on it. Caught a Shroomish, so that's a start!" May exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"It sure is. Roxanne likes a good challenge. Be sure to train some before you battle her. She's quite strong," said the nurse, grabbing a key and handing it to May. "There ya go, fifth room on the left down the hall."

"Thanks!" May chirped.

"You're welcome. I'll call you when your team is healed," said the nurse with a bright smile.

May nodded and slipped down the hall to her room.

* * *

The doors to the Petalburg Gym opened to reveal Brendan and a smiling Wally. Norman had a feeling that all went well just by looking at Wally's belt.

"So, what did you catch?" Norman asked curiously.

"It's a Ralts! He came right out of the bushes and I caught him thanks to your Zigzagoon and Brendan's coaching," Wally beamed happily.

"I see. Good work! Remember to take good care of him. Pokémon are our friends and we would do well to remember that," Norman replied.

Wally nodded, showing understanding. Norman turned to Brendan.

"Thanks again for helping out. You've always been a helpful boy," Norman assured him.

Brendan flashed a goofy grin. "It was nothin', I'm always ready to help wherever I can," Brendan added cheerfully.

"That's why you're reliable. Now, if you boys will excuse me, I have some training to do. A challenge could come at any time. I need to prepare."

"Understood," Brendan nodded, turning to exit the gym, Wally trailing behind.

* * *

Within the Petalburg Woods, the sun had set and the night was coming alive. A man in a white lab coat could be seen standing in a clearing as though he were looking for something. He carried a case of sorts that looked to house important items as it was locked up tight.

The man seemed blissfully unaware of the individuals lurking nearby. One of them wore a Team Magma uniform and was peering around the corner at a set of bushes where another man crouched. This one wore a blue anx white striped shirt and black long shorts and a black bandanna. The Team Magma Grunt grimaced. He reached for his headset.

"Miles to Commander Courtney...Team Aqua in sight," he whispered.

"Make certain they don't get their hands on what we want..."

"Understood Commander Courtney,"

* * *

Brendan parted ways with Wally after he said he needed to go back home. He now found himself in the Petalburg Woods and couldn't help but feel as though something was amiss. As he walked along, he spotted the man in the lab coat and raised a brow.

That's odd. What's a scientist doing out here at this hour? Is he lost or...? He thought, watching and listening as the man spoke.

"Hmmm...they must all be asleep," he sighed, picking up his case. Hearing footsteps, he whirled around quickly only to sigh in relief as he spotted Brendan.

"Phew, it's only a trainer. Say, you wouldn't happen to have seen a Shroomish would you?" The researcher queried.

Brendan shrugged. "I kinda just got here. I think they come out more during the day though. So unless they're nocturnal, I doubt you'll be finding any," Brendan replied with a chuckle.

"Ah, but some sleep out in the open. But I suppose you are right. They do tend to hide," the scientist sighed.

Just then, the bush shook near them causing Brendan to direct his attention to it.

That's odd. What in these woods could possibly be awake? Unless...

"Whoever you are, come out," Brendan stated firmly.

There was no response. Brendan shifted his attention to the researcher and then the bush.

"Treecko, scout around," Brendan commanded.

The reptile nodded as he immerged and dove into the first tree near him. From his vantage point, he could see most of the forest. As Treecko looked around, he spotted the Team Aqua Grunt nearby.

"No use hiding, I heard you so you might as well come out," Brendan said flatly.

"Sheesh, no fun..." The voice of a man said as he stepped out from the bushes.

"Who are you? And why are you sneaking around like that?" Brendan inquired.

"None of your business punk. I suggest you get lost before you get hurt. I have something to discuss with that man beside you," the Team Aqua Grunt pointed out.

"What could you possibly want with me?" The researcher queried, nervously pulling at his collar.

"That package. Hand it over," demanded the Grunt.

"Not on your life. This belongs to the Devon Corporation!" Said the scientist.

"Not anymore it doesn't. Poochyena, let's take what's ours!" The Grunt bellowed.

"Okay...either you're stupid or just really oblivious to the fact that I'm here still. By the way, not gonna let you do this. Treecko, Grass Knot!" Brendan commanded.

Silence reigned for but a moment until vines suddenly sprang up and tripped Poochyena up. Without warning, the Poochyena was slammed hard with a Quick Attack empowered Pound, sending the pooch bouncing along the ground. Treecko landed and turned to face the Poochyena.

"You little-Poochyena use Bite!" He growled.

"Quick Attack!" Brendan countered.

Treecko, taking advantage of his speed, shot off towards the canine and hammered into him, knocking him down and out of the fight.

"Why you little...you'll pay for this! Nobody treats Team Aqua this way and gets away with it. I may have lost now, but just you wait. Come to Rustburo, I dare ya!" The Grunt replied with a laugh, making an exit.

"Thank you so much young man. I was afraid for a moment there. Poochyena are known to be extremely territorial and vicious," he replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Not a problem. I'm glad to be of help. However...what he just said bothers me a little," Brendan replied with a contemplative expression.

"I believe that you are right. Oh dear! We must hurry!" The researcher exclaimed, rushing out of the woods with Brendan following.

Still in hiding, however, Miles had recorded the rather quick fight and was sending it to Courtney.

Courtney was just enjoying a light bedtime snack consisting of chocolate ice cream with Razz Berries mixed with Nanab Berries. Her gear soon went off and she picked it up.

"What...?" She demanded.

"So, Team Aqua didn't get the package. The Devon Corporation researcher still has it."

"Good. Team Aqua failed, now we need to find out what it is they want with it. They are sure to come back for it," Courtney replied.

Just then, her gear beeped showing that a file was sent.

"What's this?" She inquired with a raised brow.

"Just look at it. I'm going to head to Rustburo City. I think you will like what you see in that video file," Miles finished. "Over and out."

Courtney hung up and opened the file and played the video. She blinked as she watched the scene play out. She was bored up until the Grass Knot came out of the ground followed by a swift strike from Treecko. The video panned over to Brendan and she paused it. She canted her head slightly and reached out and touched the screen.

 _Analyzing..._

 _Interest established. Huh. Miles was right..._

* * *

 **Yay! Another one down! Took me longer than I thought but it was fun to write. As you can see, Brendan is progressing well and so is May. We got to see Wally and now we see something else beginning to surface. Stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter 5

Brendan awoke from his slumber the next morning, refreshed and ready to take on the day. He had a gym challenge to take and he was quite certain that his team was ready to face his former instructor. Sitting up, he glanced over at the alarm clock, blinking at the time. Ten o'clock was what it read.

"I really need to work on getting up earlier," Brendan yawned, stretching as he stood.

Treecko and Poochyena were sleeping in their own designated places. Poochyena seemed to prefer the floor near the bed while Treecko took to the window. Sunlight leaked inside, warming Treecko's scales and rousing him from his sleep.

"Morning you two," Brendan voiced as he headed off to shower and get ready for the day.

Treecko and Poochyena both nodded in acknowledgment.

"Today's the day we have our first gym battle. I know you guys will be ready for it," Brendan stated as he slipped into the bathroom.

* * *

Courtney had been awake since the crack of dawn, reviewing the recording that was sent to her. She observed Brendan's actions as well as listened to his speech. Her lips curled into a slight smile as she heard him insult the Team Aqua Grunt.

 _The boy has sense. This is good. She thought, watching further_.

She took note of the power of his Treecko and typed up a few notes about it.

 _Grass Knot. Hmm...better used for heavier opponents, but it was used flawlessly as a surprise attack. This Treecko seems to be quite fast as well. Analyzing...conclusion; it was bred. Superlative._

Courtney continued to watch, interest piquing more by the minute. Normally, this didn't happen. People didn't usually interest her at all. But this one, this...boy, really caught her attention. Who was he? She had to find out. Just then, an idea hit her.

 _He will be in Rustburo City. Team Aqua is planning something. Perhaps Miles can find out more. Yes...that will work_.

With that, she stood up and made her way to her bathroom for a relaxing bath. She would call Miles when she was done.

* * *

"Shroomish, hang in there!" May called out as her Shroomish was batted away by Roxanne's Nosepass.

Okay May, think strategically. Remember what Brendan said. Don't rush in...

"Nosepass, use Rock Tomb!" Roxanne commanded.

Nosepass materialized several large rocks and launched them straight at Shroomish.

"Seed Bomb!" May countered.

Shroomish sent a volley of glowing white orbs towards the incoming rocks. The bombs exploded upon contact and dispersed the assault made by Roxanne.

"Not bad Miss Maple. I expected nothing less from the daughter of Norman. You do have his fighting spirit," Roxanne complimented.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me," May began. "I will do my best to win," May declared.

"That's what I like to hear. Nosepass, use Ice Punch!"

"Shroomish, use Stun Spore, quick!" May countered hastily.

Nosepass rushed in with its rocky stub glowing with icy cold energy. As it was about to strike, Shroomish released a shower of spores, covering Nosepass and slowing it movements dramatically. Before it could strike, a paralyzing current raced along its body, rendering it immobile.

Now's my chance! May thought. "Seed Bomb again!"

"Explosion!"

May paled. Seed Bomb went off first followed by Nosepass self-destructing. When the dust cleared, Shroomish and Nosepass were both out of the fight. The judges hand went up.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle. This match is a draw. In accordance with the rules, the Gym Leader has the final say."

May sighed as she withdrew Shroomish. She was so close to an assured victory. Roxanne smiled softly and made her way over to May.

"May Maple?"

"Y-yes?" May looked up only to see the Stone Badge being presented to her.

"B-but, I didn't win," May said with wide eyes.

"Even those who lose get a badge if I see that they understand the basics of battle and raising Pokémon. Besides, didn't your father tell you that winning isn't what's important?" Roxanne winked.

"Yes. Yes he did! Oh thank you Roxanne!" May chirped excitedly, taking the badge happily.

Clapping could be heard behind her, causing May and Roxanne to turn and see who it was. There, in the entryway stood Brendan.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my former student. I had a feeling I would be seeing you soon enough," Roxanne smirked.

"He was your student?" May queried, glancing between the two.

"Yep. He was one of my brightest. A little obnoxious at times but when it came down to it, he was a solid student," Roxanne commented.

"Well, it's good to see you too Teach," Brendan replied with a wry grin.

"Still as endearing as ever. So, you came for a badge did you? I hope you are prepared to put all you've learned to the test," Roxanne reminded him.

"Don't worry, I am pretty prepared for this battle. I hope you're ready Teach, because this is gonna be one battle you won't ever forget," Brendan grinned.

"Uh...I think I might have a seat and watch. This sounds like it will be interesting," May deduced, making her way to the side to spectate.

Brendan and Roxanne grinned at one another.

"Well, if you'll wait here, I will be back in twenty minutes tops. Take time to prepare your strategy. I look forward to battling you," Roxanne stated as she walked out of the gym.

* * *

The Devon Corporation, located just west of the gym, was busy taking calls and researching for new projects they were undertaking. There were a few trainers getting fossils revived as well. Yes, all was going swell within the establishment. However, lurking within the business was a shadow that had little interest in anything the corporation could make. He was there on a mission for one thing only and it relied on him getting into the lab undetected.

As he hid around the corner, a researcher strode by. Quick as a flash, he reached out and covered the mouth of the scientist and silenced him for a while. With the man unconscious, he'd take his coat and other clothes, and stash the researcher in an unoccupied room. He dressed himself in the clothes of the researcher and toom off his bandanna, stashing it in the coat pocket. Keys were in the coat. Perfect!

* * *

The gym doors opened and in walked Roxanne, a confident air around her as she strode up to Brendan.

"Well, are you ready for your true final exam, Brendan?" Roxanne smirked, hefting one of her Pokéballs before him.

"I think I've studied enough to know how to ace it," Brendan replied confidently.

"Well then, let's see it. Show me that the knowledge imparted to you has been retained. I hope you won't disappoint me," Roxanne stated, trekking over to her box.

Brendan nodded respectfully and walked towards the trainer's box. The judge walked to the center of the arena and raised her hand.

"This match will be between the Rustburo City Gym Leader: Roxanne and the Challenger: Brendan from Littleroot Town. This is an official gym battle. Only the challenger may switch Pokémon. Brendan will have the first move. Combatants, send out your first Pokémon!" Said the judge.

"Geodude, time for class!" Roxanne shouted.

"Poochyena, let's get it on!" Brendan bellowed.

"Begin!" The judge echoed, causing both sides to charge into action.

"Poochyena, Dig, let's go!" Brendan commanded.

"Geodude, Rock Polish!" Roxanne belted out.

Poochyena powered into the ground and tunnled beneath the rocky arena. Geodude slammed his fists together, creating sparks of blue lightning around his frame. With the needed speed boost, he was considerably faster. Seening this setup, Brendan took action.

"Howl underground!" Brendan countered.

 _Well played!_ Roxanne commended mentally.

A powerful howl erupted from underground, only to get louder as Poochyena burst through the arena floor aglow with crimson aura. Geodude, however, was able to evade the strike in the nick of time. Both combatants faced each other with determination unparalleled.

 _Wow, I knew Brendan was good, but it looks like he and Roxanne are pretty even. Though Poochyena didn't hit Geodude, that strategy was brilliant. I get it! Howl raises the power of Poochyena's attacks. Roxanne will have to really plan out her moves if she doesn't want to Geodude to get hit._ May concluded as she watched.

"Gotta hand it to you Brendan. That was pretty clever. But if you want to keep up with Geodude, it will take more than that. Rollout, let's go!"

Geodude began to spin rapidly in a forward motion before exploding from his position towards Poochyena.

"Get underground!" Brendan ordered.

Geodude was quicker than expected and rammed hard into Poochyena as he rolled by, turning around for another assault at a much faster pace. Poochyena shook his head vigorously and lept up to avoid the speeding rock only to tunnel back under the arena.

"That won't help you. Keep rolling and use Magnitude!"

"To the surface, quick!" Brendan fired back.

Seismic waves pulsed from Geodude as he rolled along. Poochyena broke to the surface and found himself positioned in the air above Geodude who had launched himself upward just as Poochyena resurfaced. Part of the hole acted as a ramp.

"Iron Tail!" Brendan shouted.

"Fire Punch!" Roxanne countered.

Geodude set his fist ablaze and came out of his spin, utilizing the force of the turn to power the attack. Poochyena coated his tail with steel and flipped, using the downward momentum to gain the edge. There was a loud BANG! The two attacks collided, however, due to the laws of gravity, Geodude was sent crashing hard into the arena below. Poochyena landed on his side and rolled slowly to get back up. Geodude was down for the count.

"Geodude is unable to battle! Poochyena wins!" Said the judge as her hand went up.

"Well done Brendan! Seems you remembered what I taught you after all. Kinda gets me...all choked up," Roxanne sniffed, a smile resting on her features as she returned Geodude.

"It's hard to forget something you taught. You made things so simple for all of us. And I'm going to show you that your teaching is being put to good use by defeating you here today!" Brendan boldly declared.

Roxanne smiled softly.

 _Oh Brendan, my dear student. Always so confident and trustworthy. Even from the day you set foot into my classroom you were always so helpful and bright...even if you were a bit of a clown too. You passed all of my exams and graduated with honors. But this, my dear Brendan, is no normal exam. I plan to make you work to pass this one!_ Roxanne thought as she reached for her last teammate.

"I have no doubt you will carry out those bold words. However...I don't plan on making it easy. Nosepass, time for another lesson!" Roxanne called out.

The nose Pokémon immerged onto the arena floor and stared blankly at Poochyena.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Teach. Bring it on!" Brendan beckoned her.

"Oh, I will Mr. Birch. Count on it," she grinned.

"Poochyena, Dig!"

"Not this time, Zap Cannon down the hole!" Roxanne commanded.

Poochyena dove underground only for Nosepass to quickly gather the needed energy and fire a powerful orb of electricity down the hole. Poochyena yelped in pain and was blasted out of the ground, landing in a heap before Brendan.

"Poochyena is unable to battle! Nosepass wins!" The judge proclaimed.

"Not pulling any punches, are you Teach?" Brendan laughed nervously, dawning a concerned look as he picked up Poochyena.

"Not in the slightest. As I said before, this will not be easy," Roxanne replied.

Brendan nodded and returned Poochyena. "You were great my friend. Rest up, and let your friend take it all the way. Treecko, battle station!"

The reptilian Pokémon erupted from his spherical abode and landed in a three point stance. Rising to a stand, Treecko stared down his lumbering foe.

 _Roxanne, you were and still are an awesome teacher. This battle will be my thanks to you_ , thought Brendan as he gazed back at Roxanne.

"Treecko, charge in with Quick Attack!"

"Ice Punch!" Roxanne commanded.

Treecko was off like a shot, trusting in his friend's commands. As he neared, Nosepass encased its stub in freezing cold aura before aiming a powerful punch at the speedy reptile. No fool, Treecko sidestepped the assault and positioned himself to strike.

"Seed Bomb!" Brendan called out, much to May's surprise.

 _He didn't use that in our fight! Talk about having a few tricks up your sleeve_ , May mused.

Treecko gathered white orbs of energy into his palms and flung them straight into Nosepass's face. The bombs exploded upon impact and sent Nosepass staggering backwards.

"Press the offensive! Knock it down with Pound!"

Brendan knew that normal attacks were no good against Rock-types. But if Nosepass tipped over, it would have a hard time getting back up. As Treecko launched himself at Nosepass, Brendan immediately regretted his decision.

"Zap Cannon!"

There was a very loud explosion. Treecko was sent sprawling through the air, landing hard on the ground. Nosepass had regained its footing and was now in the better position.

"I had a feeling you would try something like that. And from the look on your face...you knew you messed up," Roxanne stated with a frown.

Brendan glanced over at Treecko who struggled to his feet. He was paralyzed and his speed was reduced.

"This was fun Brendan, but it looks like you'll be taking this exam again. Zap Cannon once again!" Roxanne commanded.

Nosepass began to power up the devastating electrical attack. A smirk slowly spread across Brendan's face.

"You know what Teach? Someone will be taking this exam again, only it's not gonna be me," Brendan grinned.

"Oh? And why is that?" Roxanne asked as Nosepass finished charging.

"Because Mother Nature is a cruel mistress. Oh and...weighing a lot kinda sucks, for Nosepass anyway," Brendan grinned.

As he said that, a large set of vines erupted from the holes that were made and ensnared Nosepass, causing him to miss fire his cannon away from Treecko, and fall on his face hard into the arena floor. Treecko's eyes ceased to glow and he fell onto his rear from exhaustion, heaving a deep sigh.

 _He did it. Well done my dear student..._

* * *

 **That takes care of that! I hope this was an enjoyable read! Let me know what you think of it! Ciao for now.**


	6. Chapter 6

Brendan glanced down at the Stone Badge and smiled softly. Throughout his time at that school, he was taught by several individuals since he was a toddler. One might say that he grew up with Roxanne's family teaching him. She was his teacher for eight of the twelve years he had been there. He remembered all of her classes very well.

"So Brendan, just how long was Roxanne your teacher?" May asked as she and Brendan exited the gym.

"Eight years exactly. She started being my teacher when I got out of elementary school. As you saw, she knows a great deal what she's doing," Brendan chuckled.

"She sure does. Those were some tough Pokémon," May sighed.

"If you think that was rough, you should see her stronger Pokémon. She uses those for tougher opponents," Brendan informed her.

"Right! My dad does the same thing. He said it had something to do with the amount of badges the challenger has. Now that I think of it, we got the easier challenge," May laughed nervously.

"Yep. She has fully evolved forms of a vast amount of Rock-types. And as you witnessed, she has a way to counter their weaknesses," Brendan replied.

"And Explosion," May grumbled.

"Oh yeah, she loves doing that. She gets her kicks from it if the fight's good enough."

"Is that why she blew my Shroomish to kingdom come?" May asked with a raised brow.

"Probably. Either that, or she had no other option. Sometimes, if she knows the opposition will win either way, she does it for the hell of it. If she's gonna lose, she goes out in style," Brendan laughed.

"Well, she scared me half to death. I thought the place would fall apart," May muttered.

"She always did tell us to get creative when we are about to lose. She always told me to have fun with it," Brendan replied, scratching his chin as he spoke.

"Stop! Thief!"

Brendan and May both turned to see someone racing out of the Devon Corporation building being pursued by a researcher. The man being chased threw off his guise and revealed himself to be a member of Team Aqua. Brendan also recognized the researcher as the one from the woods.

"Come on May, we have to help him!" Brendan stated, taking off.

"Wait for me!" May called out.

* * *

Somewhere down Route 116, Miles was hiding. He had seen the Team Aqua Grunt slip into the Devon Corporation building. He thought of doing the same, but then revised his plan to something less risky. Quick footsteps caught his attention, causing him to press his back against the thick tree he was behind. As the hurried steps rushed by, he turned to see the Grunt racing off down the path.

 _Now, where do you think you're going?_ Miles thought, having knowledge of something the Grunt didn't.

Another set of footfalls caused him to conceal himself more. He looked and beheld Brendan and May, whom he didn't recognize, chasing after the Grunt.

 _Oh this ought to be good. That louse has no idea the trouble he's in now that he's tailed by that guy. The girl doesn't look like a pushover either,_ Miles thought as he slowly followed the duo.

Brendan and May chased until they reached the clearing where the Rusturf Tunnel began. Outside of the tunnel was an elderly man who was just getting up from the ground.

"Owww, my back!" The old man groaned.

"Are you okay?" May asked, rushing over to assist him.

"Yes, but...my Wingull, Peeko...he's been kidnapped by some weirdo in a mask," he grumbled.

"May, why don't you stay here with him? I'll go on ahead and deal with that guy," Brendan declared.

"Alright, be careful Brendan," May called to him as he bolted into the tunnel.

While May was tending to the old man, Miles slinked by and slipped into the tunnel behind Brendan. He was given orders that morning to find out more about Brendan. Now he had a name to go off of.

* * *

"Okay. I should be able to get through this tunnel and through to the other side in no time. I just need to go around this bend and-" he skidded to a halt.

"Oh come on! Seriously!?" He yelled, seeing that the tunnel was blocked off by large boulders.

"Nowhere to run now huh?" Brendan stated as he trekked towards the Grunt.

"Eh? Just who are you supposed to be? You're not with Team Magma are you?" The Grunt growled.

Brendan looked down at the Wingull at the Grunt's feet. It was frozen in fear.

"Who I am is of no concern. And no, I am not affiliated with what you asked. Tell me, did you even look at the signs before running in here? They said the place was closed off," Brendan informed the Grunt.

"I know that! I just thought it would have been cleared hours ago," the Grunt shot back.

"Well, it's not. Arceus you guys are dumb."

"What did you say punk!?" The Grunt snarled.

"Hotheaded too. Look, I don't have a whole lot of time. Now that I know this place is blocked off, I have to find another way around to the next city. So we can do this one of two ways," Brendan stated, releasing Treecko from his chamber. "Hand over what you stole, or I mop the floor with you."

"That's some big talk, but do you even know who I am? I'm a member of the notorious Team Aqua! And nobody insults us and gets off clean. Tirtouga, time to fight!"

Brendan blinked as the rock/water tortoise immerged onto the battlefield. He had studied those in class before so he knew what thdy were. For his father's research, he took out his Pokédex and gathered the information.

"Tirtouga, use Aqua Jet!" Commanded the Grunt.

Unwilling to be struck, Treecko lept high to avoid the assault, landing behind Tirtouga and readying himself.

"Quick Attack into Pound!" Brendan called out.

"Meet it head on with Aqua Jet!"

Tirtouga expelled high pressure water from the back of his shell, enabling him to move at a faster pace. Treecko's body glowed white as he bolted forward, leaving streams of light behind him. Both combatants collided, tail with shell, putting them at a stalemate. Until Treecko got clever. He opened up his palm and produced a Seed Bomb and stuffed it inside the shell. He lept off, landinv in a three point stance before the bomb went off.

"No! Tirtouga!" The Grunt whined.

Tirtouga was out cold. Infuriated, the Grunt returned his Pokémon and glowered at Brendan. Treecko hopped back onto his trainer's shoulder and stared back at the man. The Grunt quickly returned Tirtouga.

"I believe we had a deal?" Brendan stated, holding out his hand expectantly.

"As if I agreed to that! Nobody orders us around but our leader!" The Grunt shouted before pushing past Brendan and making a break for it.

Really? Brendan thought with a sigh. "Grass Knot."

Treecko's eyes lit up with an emerald light and the ground beneath the fleeing Grunt burst open and roots came surging to the surface to tangle around the ankles of the thief. The Grunt fell flat on his face and dropped the case. Unbeknownst to the Grunt and Brendan, Miles was recording again.

 _I could pick up the package. But according to Courtney, it wouldn't be much use to us, save for a hinderance to Team Aqua. Besides, my primary objective was to stop Team Aqua from getting it. Brendan here has taken care of that for me. And that girl out there served a purpose in providing a name. I can only assume that she will have me track him more._ Miles thought as he stopped recording.

Brendan picked up the package and coaxed the Wingull to him. Peeko gladly flew to his shoulder and remained there.

* * *

"I hope my Peeko and your friend are alright," the old man sighed.

"I hope so too. But I have faith that Brendan can handle it," May replied confidently.

"He must be strong then," replied the elderly man with a smile.

"Oh yes, that he is," May grinned. "Speaking of, there he is now!"

Brendan walked out of the tunnel with the Wingull in tow and the stolen package.

"Well blow me down! The lad did it," the old man beamed.

Peeko glided over to its owner and nipped his ear playfully.

"Thanks a lot you two! By the way, the name be Mr. Briney!"

"I'm May, and as you already heard me say, this is Brendan," May introduced.

"Well, you two are fine young ones indeed. If ye be needing anything, feel free to stop by the docks and see me. I'll be waiting!" Mr. Briney said cheerfully as he walked off.

"That was interesting," May piped up.

"Yeah, just what exactly is this, and why does Team Aqua want it?" Brendan wondered.

"Team Aqua?" May queried.

"That's what they are calling themselves. I've run into two so far. This one asked me if I was with Team Magma. Can today get any weirder?" Brendan sighed.

"Let's just return this to Devon Corp. I'm sure they will be glad to have it back," May pointed out.

* * *

Courtney threw down her wrist and ankle weights and slumped down onto the floor and took out her water bottle. She was in a crimson sports bra and black workout crop pants. She wore red tennis shoes as well. She began to rehydrate when her gear rang. She looked down to see that it was from Miles.

"Speak..." She answered.

"Well, you were right. Team Aqua was planning on going after the package again," Miles began.

"I know. Anything else?" Courtney prodded.

"The boy has it now. He's returning it to Devon Corporation as we speak," Miles reported.

"Good, Team Aqua failed again. Anything else?" Courtney asked quickly.

"I sent you another file to analyze. He trounced another stronger member of Team Aqua. I think this one gave some of our members a little trouble," Miles stated.

"The one with a Tirtouga...right?" Courtney replied, canting her head.

"Yeah, that one. Anyway, watch the file, some interesting things are in it. Miles out," he stated.

"Wait..."

"Yes Commander?"

"Keep tracking him. He may be useful..."

"As you command, Courtney, over and out," Miles finished.

Courtney opened the file and watched the recording. It was indeed another battle. His opponent this time was a lot stronger, however, she could tell that Treecko had improved a lot.

 _Analyzing..._

 _Huh. He has Seed Bomb. Let's see, adequate execution, flawless improvisation. His name is Brendan. Conclusion; further studies required, interest piqued even more..._

* * *

 **Yay! The Devon Goods are out of the hands of Team Aqua. Miles be creepin' like a boss. Courtney is working out and showing she's not a robot like everyone probably thought/thinks. Though when your vocabulary makes you sound like a computer, it's hard to make that distinction. Either way? She's fun to write.**


	7. Chapter 7

Brendan and May arrived at the Devon Corporation building and found the scientist. Upon seeing Brendan, the man's eyes lit up with recognition.

"Ah! It's you! Thank goodness. You've saved me once again!" The scientist exclaimed happily.

"You know each other?" May queried.

"Well, sort of. Your friend and I met in the Petalburg Woods right before we were attacked by someone belonging to an organization called Team Aqua. Your friend fought valiantly and drove the ruffian away," he explained.

"Sounds like you've been busy, huh Brendan," May chuckled.

"Yeah, you could say that. I seem to be running into a lot of oddballs as of late," Brendan snickered.

"At any rate, why don't you two come into the building. Mr. Stone wishes to speak with you," revealed the researcher as he entered the building.

May looked at Brendan who simply shrugged and followed the scientist inside.

* * *

Lilycove City, home to the famous Pokémon Contests Spectacular, the Lilycove Museum, a popular Motel and by far the largest department store in Hoenn. Just on the outskirts of this tourist attraction was a small island cave. Banners with a water droplet symbol with two bottom half bones protruding from the base of the droplet, were hung on either side of the entrance.

Just inside the base was a rather burly individual with biceps that could put any man to shame. He was quite tall and wore a torn blue wetsuit that exposed his muscular upper half. The Team Aqua symbol was on his chest. Gold chains hung from his neck. He was in the process of a workout when a Grunt walked in.

"Matt, sir...we have a problem," the Grunt stated.

"Do we now?" Matt replied, dropping the heavy weights with a clang and cracking his neck. "And what be the problem?"

"Our boys failed to secure our package. We believe it be the work of Team Magma," said the Grunt.

"Oh ho? And how's that?" Matt demanded.

"Well, the lad wore their colors. Perhaps he be a secret operative," the Grunt suggested.

"It be just like them to pull that kind of trickery. Me bro should be able to think of something though," Matt contemplated.

"What should we do if he shows again?" The Grunt inquired.

Matt grinned. "Show no mercy. Make the scurvy dog sorry he ever crossed us!" Matt commanded, hitting a nearby punching bag with enough force to send it swinging out of control. "Dismissed."

"Aye aye, sir!" The Grunt replied, turning to exit.

* * *

"So these are the two who helped you retrieve the stolen parcel?" The President of Devon Corporation inquired as he glanced over at Brendan and May.

"Yes sir, these two retrieved it from that scoundrel," the scientist replied.

Mr. Stone nodded. "Say, aren't you the Professor's son? Brendan was it? I was at your graduation. You were quite the scholar if I remember correctly. And I heard from Roxanne that you defeated her. Well done lad!"

"Thank you Mr. Stone, and yes, I believe I did see you at my graduation," Brendan confirmed.

Mr. Stone turned his gaze to May and smiled. "You must be Norman's girl. Pleasure to meet you at last. Your father has made quite a name for himself and has spoken of you quite often."

"That's right! That does sound like him," May giggled in reply.

"Glad to see it thrills you. Now, I would like to reward you both with a little something from the Corporation. My son loves to collect all kinds of stones from all over the world. Right here, we have several that we wish to part with and we hope that this will be sufficient a reward in the meantime," Mr. Stone stated, prompting the researcher to lay down a briefcase and open it.

Inside were several evolution stones. The one that caught Brendan's eye, however, was the Fire Stone. He wasn't sure why, but he decided to take it. May on the other hand, took the Water Stone.

"Those seemed like easy choices. Use them wisely. Though I am certain that you will," Mr. Stone added. "Also, before you go, there is one small favor I would like to ask. It involves my son, Steven. Could you please be so kind as to deliver this letter to him in Dewford Town?"

Brendan took the letter and placed it in his backpack. "Sure thing, but...how will we-"

"Get there? Simple my boy! Good ol' Mr. Briney has a boat that goes anywhere. I am certain that he could ferry you to the island and back if you asked him," Mr. Stone informed cheerfully.

"He did say to see him if we needed anything," May reminded.

"True, and our next badge is there so there's that," Brendan stated. "Alright, it's settled then. We'll go see him right away," Brendan declared.

"Oh! And one more thing. Could you deliver the package to Captain Stern? He's in Slateport City. It would be a big help," Mr. Stone asked.

"Sure, we'd be happy to!" May replied.

"Thank you very much," Mr. Stone responded. "Safe travels to you."

* * *

Maxie, the head of Team Magma, adjusted his glasses as he surveyed his computer screen. He had been keeping track of every move that Team Aqua had made with the inclusion of the previous two. He was thoroughly pleased with the results of the recent stop to the sea-lovers plans. It wasn't that Maxie hated the sea. No, he respected its power. There was just too much sea.

This gave Team Aqua a rather big advantage. He had been working tirelessly to come up with strategies to keep them at bay. Archie, despite his simpleminded underlings, was fairly clever himself, and Shelly was no slouch either. Matt was just a brute, but also strong. In terms of raw might, Team Aqua had the upper hand. But, in terms of intellect? Team Magma took home that trophy.

Courtney, though a bit of a shut-in, was the most brilliant mind he had ever seen. Beyond her beautiful face and physique, were caverns of knowledge that many a scientist would give anything to have even an ounce of. She was fit both physically and mentally, making her possibly his most dangerous and feared Admin.

Tabitha was another large man, though he was not unreasonably buff like Matt of Team Aqua, he made up for it with his own intellect. While not as vast as Courtney's, his intellect and knack for strategies made him a force to be reckoned with. And then there was the boy in question; Brendan.

Maxie was given the files by Courtney who expressed a keen interest in them. Maxie knew that rarely anything beyond science and their goals as well as Pokémon interested the brainy girl, so seeing her express sudden interest got him curious. After being given a name, Courtney did her research. And what fine research it was.

According to the records, Brendan graduated with excellent marks from the Rustburo Trainer's Academy. He accelled in areas of battle strategy and seemed to have a sound mind and a good head on his shoulders. As a bonus, he already trampled upon a few members of Team Aqua. But more information was required. Maxie wanted to know more. He had expressed his desire for continued study of Brendan, much to Courtney's delight.

Though Courtney retained her rather odd disposition, she seemed a tad more eager to take this task. If it got his best mind to get results and start improving her mood, he was all for her enthusiasm, even if it was a little more than four words in a sentence for her.

* * *

Brendan and May soon arrived at Mr. Briney's cabin. Lo and behold, it did indeed have a boat docked. Brendan knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Mr. Briney with Peeko on his shoulder.

"Well, if it isn't me new friends! What can I do ya for?" He asked curiously.

"Well, Mr. Stone asked us for a favor. We have this letter that we need to deliver to his son, and he's in Dewford-"

"Say no more lad! I'd be happy to take ya!" Mr. Briney beamed.

"Really!? Thanks so much Mr. Briney!" May replied excitedly.

* * *

 **And we are on our way to Dewford! Get ready for another Gym Battle! Oh, and the whole meeting with Steven thing too.**


	8. Chapter 8

Brendan and May lounged on the deck of Mr. Briney's ship. They decided to change into swimwear since the place they were headed to was know for having excellent surfing weather.

"This is rather nice. Being out on the ocean and soaking up the sun is a good way to relieve stress," May sighed contentedly.

"I agree with you there. I might even go for a swim later," Brendan chuckled.

"Sounds fun!" May remarked.

The two leaned back in their chairs and closed their eyes. Both of their Pokémon were out and getting acquainted. As they were conversing, a loud screeching noise made them look up. This also got Brendan to sit up as well.

 _I know that sound!_ Brendan thought as he looked up to see something flying just above the boat.

It was one of the more savage predators of the sky. It had a long metallic neck, legs and tail. It had a sharp, pointed beak as well as sharp teeth with a crest in the shape of a triangle on its head. The inside of its razor sharp wings was a beautiful crimson color.

"A Skarmory..." Brendan said aloud as he watched it soar.

He glanced over at his Pokémon. If he could get it in close quarters, Poochyena could deal with it. It would be extremely tough considering how vicious Skarmory were. He just needed to get its attention. But how could he?

"What's up Brendan?" May asked, opening her eyes and looking up. "Oh wow! A Skarmory! They're really rare."

"I know. And I want it," Brendan stated as he stared up at the Skarmory, thinking of a way to get it down.

Maybe a Seed Bomb will get it down here. That's my best shot here at the moment. Brendan concluded, glancing over at Treecko. The reptilian Pokémon turned to Brendan and as if knowing what he was thinking, nodded and looked back up at Skarmory.

"Treecko, get to higher ground, toss down a Seed Bomb and jump!" Brendan ordered.

Swiftly, Treecko darted from his postion at the stern and scaled his way to the upper deck. A golden sphere materialized in Treecko's hand. He trust it down and lept high, the resounding explosion blasting him higher into the sky. The startling sound caused the Skarmory to turn her head to see what was occuring. Needless to say, she wasn't expecting to see a Treecko, of all things, heading her way.

She leaned to avoid the oncoming reptile's airborne Quick Attack. This however, did not hinder Treecko. Knowing he had little time in the air, he twisted and loosed a few more Seed Bombs, drawing power from the sun to execute a much stronger attack.

Skarmory barrel rolled to avoid the first bomb but was blasted on her head by the second one. Treecko began to freefall towards the sea. Skarmory screeched and shook her head violently while regaining stability in the air. She set her sights on the falling Treecko who was in swan dive formation as he plummeted to the sea. Clearly incensed, the bird of prey dove for her attacker, accelerating at a surprisingly fast speed in spite of her metallic body.

Her wings were actually hollow and lightweight but sturdy too. They were sharp as blades and right now, they were poised to strike upon closing the distance. Before she could attack, a red beam of light absorbed Treecko, causing her to flap her wings rapidly and look for the source. A loud howling sound caught her attention. Her yellow optics set themselves on Brendan who now had a snarling Poochyena, surrounded by scarlet energy, at his feet. Sensing a challenge, the Skarmory screeched a challenge to the pup.

Brendan, understanding what she meant, gladly accepted the challenge. Before Brendan could give an order, Skarmory bolted forward, wings aglow with steel infused energy. Poochyena lowered his form and his teeth began to crackle. He knew what to do.

"Thunder Fang!" Brendan countered hastily.

Skarmory powered into Poochyena with her right wing only to be jolted by an electrically charged bite. She quickly flapped her wings hard, and threw him off. Poochyena landed harshly and tumbled along the deck. He pushed himself back up and bared his teeth at Skarmory. She narrowed her eyes and bolted towards Poochyena again.

"Iron Tail!" Brendan commanded.

Poochyena lept up to meet the accelerating armored bird and slammed his tail onto her head in the same location the Seed Bomb went off. Skarmory screeched in pain and whirled on Poochyena, sending a heavy gust of wind from her wings his way. This blasted Poochyena backwards and into the rail of the stern. Poochyena struggled to recover and managed to stand, snarling again and barking this time.

Skarmory screeched back at Poochyena and a short conversation ensued which resulted in Skarmory exploding forward. Brendan looked on as Poochyena gathered electricity into his fangs and lunged. Sparks flew on the deck and elecricity shot into the sky. Brendan shielded his eyes, as did May. When the light faded, Poochyena was lying on his stomach with the wind knocked out of him, and Skarmory was struggling to get up.

Brendan knew that gaining the trust of a Skarmory would be difficult due to their unique disposition and fiesty attitude. But just like Poochyena, they would obey orders from a worthy trainer without question. Having purchased a few potions before leaving Rustburo, he opened his bag and took one out. Skarmory looked at Brendan with a blank stare. She couldn't move much and hadn't the foggiest idea what he planned to do. She was surprised when he reached out and gently stroked her beak.

"There now, everything is going to be okay. I'll fix you up in a sec," Brendan said as he began to spray the potion on her metallic body.

She began to feel her strength return to her. Getting the feeling back into her wings, she spread them out, revealing every magnificent bladed edge. Brendan and May marveled at the sight. Skarmory glanced down at Poochyena who hobbled over to Brendan to get treated as well. Brendan tended to Poochyena before returning him.

"That should do it. Thanks for the fight Skarmory. I guess you're wondering why huh?" Brendan began.

Skarmory canted her head slightly.

"Well, I saw you above us and didn't want to miss the opportunity. Truth be told I wanted to have you on my team. And I think you and I speak the same language pretty well. Battle being the lingo I am referring to. So what do you say?" Brendan paused, opening up a Pokéball and holding it out to Skarmory. "Care to join me?"

Skarmory thought for a moment. She did love a good fight, and this most certainly was a good fight. If she got to do this more often, it would certainly benefit her. Yes, this exchange seemed pretty fair. With the decision made, she pecked the device and let herself be taken.

"That. Was. Unbelievable! I'm surprised Brendan. When you said Roxanne taught you, did she also teach you tricks like that?" May inquired.

"Kinda. See...it's sort of embarrassing but I used to watch a lot of contests as a kid. I always thought it was super creative how they had their Pokémon pull stunts and things like that. You might say I have a bit of an interest in them," Brendan stated sheepishly.

"I love contests!" May squeeled.

"What's going on out here?" Mr. Briney called out as he walked out on deck. "I be hearing explosions."

"Uh...yeah, that's kinda my fault. See uh, I just battled a Skarmory and caught it. I had no Flying-types so I lured it to your boat," Brendan stated, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Hmmm...well it doesn't look too bad. The floor is a tad scorched but that is some strong wood so it will hold. Nothing else appears to be damaged. Well...'cept the roof perhaps. But that steel is pretty resilient so you're fine," Mr. Briney laughed.

Brendan and May sighed in relief. "So, how long til we reach Dewford?" May asked.

"Oh, about ten minutes or so. I've got the boat headed in the right direction. I had best make it back to the wheel though. Don't wanna let it go unchecked too long," he said with a grin.

Mr. Briney headed back into the main cabin and Brendan and May got back to lounging.

I've got my third Pokémon now. I should be ready to face Brawly with what I have. I'll have to leave Poochyena out of this fight. He won't be able to do much to Brawly's Pokémon. I was just fortunate here. Hmm...Maybe Treecko will evolve soon. I hope so. Brendan thought as he stared up at the sky.

"Whatcha thinkin' about Brendan?" May asked casually.

"Mostly about the next part of my adventure. Oh, and the upcoming gym battle," Brendan replied.

"I'm not sure how I'll do there. Maybe you can give me some coaching?" May queried.

"Sure thing May. I'd be glad to help you out," Brendan responded with a bright smile.

"Thanks! That means a lot to me," May smiled.

* * *

Miles slipped back into Team Magma's hideout and made his way to Courtney's office as he was going to inform her of his update. He casually knocked on her door and waited. After a moment or two, it opened.

"What do you want?" Courtney questioned.

"Commander," he saluted, "here to report."

Courtney crossed her arms and leaned against the door. "Go on..."

"Brendan and his friend have left and are headed for Dewford. I suspect they won't return to Rustburo, so the only other place is the docks of Slateport."

"So why aren't you there?" Courtney asked with a raised brow.

"I'm here to grab a change of uniform. I've worn this one the past few days..." Miles admitted.

"Ah. That's excusable then. Good work. Dismissed." Courtney closed the door.

 _Dewford? He'll be out there for a while since it's a long ride from there to Slateport. Meeting him will be tricky..._

Courtney sighed and exited her office and walked into her room. It had been an exhausting day. She flopped onto her bed after shedding her uniform. Ninetales craned her head to look at her owner. Courtney looked back and smiled faintly, reaching out to scratch her head.

 _Maybe he will come to Lavaridge. That would simplify things..._

 _Maxie is also interested in meeting him. This is good._

 _We will meet soon, Brendan..._

* * *

 **Wewt! Skarmory is on the scene! Honestly, aside from Braviary, Skarmory is one of my favorite Flying-type Pokémon. With sturdy being a factor, (not that it matters because things like Salandit exist now) on top of great defenses and sweeping potential of the scumbaggery kind, -coughs- Whirlwind and Stealth Rocks/Spikes -cough- it can really wreck a team. So yeah, now Brendan has one. Yay! Stay tuned for more!**


	9. Chapter 9

Brendan and May finally made it to Dewford Town. It was a rather small island complete with a few houses, a dock, a Gym and a Pokémon Center. It was around mid-afternoon.

"Here ya are you two. Dewford Town! If ye be lookin' for a good place to surf, this be the place," Mr. Briney laughed.

"We will certainly keep that in mind," Brendan replied, heading towards the Pokémon Center so he could fix up his team and possibly change.

"I'll be resting in the boat if ya need me," Mr. Briney called out.

"Okay, thank you Mr. Briney!" May called back, briskly moving to catch up to Brendan.

The duo entered the Pokémon Center and glanced around. Several trainers were gathered around. A few were in swimwear like Brendan and May, and others were in normal clothes. One of them seemed to recognize Brendan.

"Brendan?" A tall, black haired boy said as he saw Brendan and May walk through the door.

"Tim? Dude! What's up!?" Brendan exclaimed.

"Wasn't expecting to see you out here man. Lucia said she saw you the other day. That's cool," Tim grinned.

"Yeah, we talked. She mentioned you...among other things too," Brendan stated, scratching the back of his head.

"Ah, you heard about that huh?" Tim sounded proud and embarrassed.

"Oh! By the way, this is my friend, May Maple. May, meet Tim, another friend of mine."

"Wait. Maple? As in Norman Maple? I had no clue he had a daughter. Then again, all I ever saw was Norman in Petalburg when I moved there," Tim said with a slight laugh.

"Yeah, my mom and I just moved back so we could be closer to dad. Now mom can actually spend some time with him," May muttered.

"Cool, cool. So Brendan, Lucia tells me you're taking the League Challenge. Right on! Me too. Already got myself three badges. Gotta warn you though, Wattson is rough. I had a hard time with that fight," Tim laughed.

"If you already beat Wattson, what the hell are you doing out here?" Brendan asked curiously.

"Brendan, you know as well as I do that this is the best spot to catch waves. No worries though, I plan on heading out tomorrow. Gotta train hard if I plan to win my next badge," Tim grinned.

"I here ya. May and I just got our first. I need to patch up my team before I challenge the gym," Brendan said with a confident look.

"Hey, maybe we can go down and I can cheer you guys on?" Tim suggested.

"That sounds wonderful. I would appreciate it very much Tim," May said with a smile.

"Not a problem! Just let me know when you're heading over," said Tim.

Professor Birch was sitting at the table with his wife drinking a cup of coffee, when the video phone rang. He stood up and pressed the button on the monitor against the wall and the screen opened.

"Hey dad," Brendan said with a wave.

"Brendan my boy! Where are you?" He asked.

"I'm in Dewford. May is here too, and guess who we ran into," Brendan chuckled.

"Who?" Mr. Birch wondered.

"Tim! He's out here right now taking a break. He's gonna come watch my gym battle," Brendan replied with a chuckle.

"Tim?" Came the voice of Mrs. Birch as she heard her son's voice.

"Hi mom!" Brendan waved.

"Hey sweetie! I heard you're in Dewford Town. Gonna take the gym challenge there?" She queried.

"Yep! May and I beat Roxanne and have a Stone Badge now. We're aiming for the Knuckle Badge next. In a while we are gonna head over there," Brendan informed his parents.

"Sounds like you two are having fun. Tell Tim I said hello and to behave himself. Lucia is a good woman so he'd better not mess up," she said sweetly, though Brendan could hear the iron in her voice.

"Don't worry about that mom. He's not like that. Besides, Lucia keeps him in line," Brendan snickered.

"You mean like I do with your father?" She teased, causing Mr. Birch to sweat-drop.

"Yeah, something like that," Brendan laughed. "Oh! I caught two new Pokémon so far!"

"Oooo! Do tell son," his mom exclaimed excitedly.

"Okay, first, Dad, remember that Poochyena I was talking about that Treecko and I battled a few times?" Brendan asked.

"You caught it!?" The Professor blurted out.

"Yep! He helped me in my gym match. He's awesome. Oh and he also helped me catch my latest Pokémon. Brace yourselves because this was mind blowing," Brendan began.

"We're listening," his parents replied.

Brendan proceeded to tell them the story of how he caught Skarmory while on his way to Dewford. By the end of it, his parents were filled with pride for their son.

"That's amazing! Skarmory are so rare to see. Well done son!" Mr. Birch commended.

"Thanks dad!" Brendan replied.

"I'm so proud of you honey! Keep it up. I know you'll do your best," Mrs. Birch excitedly expressed.

"Thanks mom. I'll do my best to keep making you and dad proud."

"We know you will son," Mr. Birch replied with a grin.

"Well, it was nice talking to you son, but I need to fix supper. It takes hours for the roast to cook just right and I don't want it to burn. I love you Brendan. Please be careful, you mean the world to me and your father, okay?" She beamed.

"I'll be fine mom. I'll call you guys tomorrow okay?" Brendan responded cheerfully.

"And we will be waiting for it," his mother stated.

"Goodbye son!" His parents said in unison.

"Bye!" Brendan replied as he ended the call.

As he did, the nurse paged him. "Brendan? Your Pokémon are ready," she gave him a winning smile.

"Awesome, thanks!" Brendan responded, taking back his team.

He turned and made his way back to his friends who were waiting for him.

"So where'd you go?" May asked, wondering what happened.

"Just went to call my family. They say hi, by the way," Brendan informed.

"Sweet, tell them I say hello too, when you get the chance," Tim replied.

Brendan nodded. "So, I guess we should get down to the gym huh? Unless...May? Should we go look for Steven? He's bound to be around here right?"

"Hmmm...that is a matter of importance. We can always do the gym tomorrow," May suggested.

"You're right. Why don't we go look for Steven and give him the letter," Brendan agreed.

"Steven Stone? I know where he went. I saw him about an hour before you got here. He and Brawly were talking and then Steven went into the cave back there. Why don't we all go? After that we can check into our rooms," Tim added.

"Sounds like a solid plan to me," Brendan replied in agreement.

With that, May and Brendan found a place to change and headed out.

Granite Cave was rather cool inside due to the moisture. It was a place for Pokémon that preferred that particular environment. Within its chambers deep, stood a tall man with light, steel blue, well kept hair. He wore a clean looking suit with a red tie. He stood before several different markings on the walls. The wall carvings portrayed a massive and powerful, creature of the deep. Storms raged around it and chaos seemed to be everywhere.

In the same image, a fierce beast of the land was depicted. The suns rays seemed to engulf everything and land and sea clashed. It was a terrifying sight.

"So...this was their power in their Primal state. What a horrific scene. Such chaos..." The man said as he observed it more.

As he analyzed the scene, he heard footsteps echoing down the path. Voices could be heard as well.

"I think we're getting close. There's another room up here. Maybe he's in there!" May said quietly.

"Probably. At least I hope so. It's vetting pretty late and there's not much light in here as is," Brendan said as he continued walking towards the entrance of the next room.

The trio entered a surprisingly well lit room and found the man standing there.

"Ah! There you are Steven," Brendan said, making his way to Steven and pulling out the letter.

"Oh, Brendan. Good to see you again. It's been a while," Steven disclosed.

"No kidding. Your father wanted me to give you this. It's a letter from him," Brendan uttered.

Steven took the letter and smiled, placing it in his jacket pocket. "Thanks, that was thoughtful of him. I will read it later when I have the chance."

"My Arceus, I didn't think I'd be meeting with the Champion this soon," May declared.

"Me either," Tim echoed.

Steven raised a brow at Brendan. "Oh! This is Norman's daughter; May. And this is my other friend; Tim."

"Pleasure to meet you both," Steven said with a smile. "So, why don't you three take a look at something while you are here?"

Steven gestured to the picture on the wall. Brendan and his friends glanced up in awe of the carvings.

"What on earth are they?" Tim asked aloud.

"Those are the Primal forms of Kyogre and Groudon. They used to have those forms thousands of years ago, but they have been dormant as of late. What you see here is a terrifying scene. The power these Pokémon possess is destructive and chaotic. However, not all Pokémon are this way. I am certain that you three know this already," said the Champion as he looked between the three.

"Indeed we do," Brendan replied confidently.

"Good to know that concept isn't lost on any of you. Now, what do you say we get out of here. I'm sure you are exhausted by now," Steven suggested.

"I agree. It was a long trip over," May concurred.

The four of them turned away from the carving and proceeded to exit the cave. After making it out, Steven and the group would part ways. Steven flying off on his own Skarmory.

 **There it is! The last chapter for today! I hope you all are enjoying it so far. Please let me know in the comments! Don't forget to vote as well!**


	10. Chapter 10

**It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry to keep you all waiting. I've been writing more chapters for this and I will post them soon. Anyway, enjoy!**

The sun greeted the island with its warm rays, waking the inhabitants that still slumbered snug in their beds. Brendan slowly awoke to see that it was fairly early. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was seven o'clock. He turned his attention to where his Pokémon slept. Treecko was just stretching itself awake and so was Poochyena. Skarmory craned her neck as her trainer awoke.

Brendan blinked as she looked at him. He then smiled and reached out to stroke her beak. Just then, Treecko and Poochyena hopped on the bed with him and nestled into him.

"Well, good morning to you too," Brendan laughed, patting his friends on the head.

"We got another match today. Poochyena, since you went first in the last match, I'll rotate you out for Skarmory. She needs some experience. Also, the leader here uses Fighting-types so yeah..."

Poochyena cringed a bit, but understood. A smart trainer usually knows how to make safe plays as well as risky ones. But there was such a thing as too risky.

"So, Treecko, I'll have you go first. Fight hard and then if and when you win, we'll see how the next one goes. Skarmory will take over if it doesn't go well. Okay?"

"Treecko, Tree Treecko!"

"That's what I like to hear! Anyway, I'm gonna get ready to go swimming. Tim and May wanted to spend some time on the beach before the match."

"So you got the first badge? Roxanne called me the other day and told me you fought valiantly. I'm proud of you, May," Norman said with a smile.

"Thanks daddy! It was so hard though. Torchic had the worst time of it. But she's getting better, and Shroomish was wonderful. I still didn't exactly win though."

"But you showed you understood what you were doing right? She told me that you pulled a pretty clever move at the end which sealed her decision to give you the badge," Norman stated.

"I know, and I was so happy about it. I remembered that winning isn't everything and doing your best is what's important. You taught me that," May reminded.

"Indeed I did. Well May, I need to go. Your mother is cooking a wonderful breakfast and I simply can't miss out on it before work. Talk to you soon May," Norman smiled.

"Okay daddy, bye! Tell mom I said hi," May said, getting a thumbs up from her father before hanging up.

A sigh expelled from her lips as she hung up. Her thoughts were on the gym battle that would be taking place today. She really needed a plan. Shroomish was capable of putting up a decent fight due to Stun Spore. But Torchic needed a little bit more work. What redeemed him was Peck and his speed. Other than that, he was still young and needed more training. Maybe Brendan and Tim could show her a thing or two? Making up her mind, she stood up and began to change into her bathing suit.

* * *

Brendan broke the surface of the water, gulping in air as he came up after Tim.

"That was close. You still hold your breath longer," Tim laughed.

"Looks like it," Brendan chuckled.

"So, what's your big plan for Brawly? Because unless you have a Psychic-type or something that flies, you're in for one hell of a fight," Tim stated seriously.

"Oh don't worry. I've got that covered. Lady Luck opened up the gift bag on me yesterday and boy was it awesome!" Brendan grinned with pride.

"Must have been a real catch. What was it?" Tim prodded.

"You'll see," Brendan smirked.

At that point, May rocketed to the surface, startling the two boys.

"Arceus May, warn a guy when you do that!" Brendan said with a frown.

"Sorry! But that was fun!" May giggled.

"Yeah, fun..." Tim laughed nervously.

May rolled her eyes. "So guys, when can I get some training in? I don't know if I am ready for this gym yet."

Brendan looked at Tim. "Well, we could start now I suppose. We can always get back in the water."

"Hey Brendan, mind if I start? Since I've already battled Brawly, I figure I can give her some advice," Tim inputted.

"I was gonna suggest that actually. I haven't fought Brawly, I just know what he uses," Brendan replied with a shrug.

"Either one of you will do. I just don't want to mess this up," May sighed.

"Well don't you worry. By the time we get done, you will be more than ready. I'll even face Brawly first so you can watch how he fights."

"That would be awesome! Thanks Brendan!" May squeeled happily.

"Always ahead of the game, eh Brendan?" Tim snickered.

"You're darn right. Now how about we get started?"

* * *

A hop, skip and a boat ride away from Dewford Town, Slateport City was teeming with life. The denizens of the city were all going to and fro from their homes to their work. The hotel was also bustling with tourists. But there was also another attraction that held a particular interest to certain individuals. The Museum. And lined up outside of it was none other than Team Aqua.

Miles was just exiting the Pokémon Center when he spotted them. Fortunately for him, he wasn't in uniform. He wore his more casual attire which consisted of a black t-shirt and faded jeans. He wore sunglasses and sandals. The way the members of Team Aqua were gathered looked rather suspicious to him.

 _Now why would a bunch of Team Aqua goons be hanging around here? I know they like stuff like this but...this is a little much. Even Archie is here! I had better report this_ , Miles thought, pulling out his gear.

After a few rings, Courtney picked up.

"Speak..." She said.

"We have a minor issue. Team Aqua is here, and by that I mean nearly ALL of them. They're crowded around a museum," Miles finished.

"Analyzing...odd. They must be after something. I believe Archie is there too, correct?" Courtney asked.

"Oh yeah, he's here. You won't catch that sea dog away from a place that has everything to do with the sea," Miles mumbled.

"Keep an eye on them. Find out what they're doing. Report anything you find. Clear?" Courtney commanded.

"Crystal clear Commander. Over and out," Miles replied before ending the call.

 _I swear, if it wasn't for her human scent, I'd mistake her for a robot_ , Miles thought as he stuffed his hands in his pocket and casually walked to the museum.

He could blend in with the line of people mixed with Aqua. He booked a night at the hotel so he could wait for Brendan and May. But right now, he had bigger problems.

* * *

"Shroomish, use Seed Bomb!" May cried out.

"Gurdurr, block it and use Bulk Up!" Tim countered.

Shroomish fomulated an array of golden orbs and fired them from his mouth, one by one. Gurdurr, undeterred, swung his beam around and thwarted the assault before slamming the beam down to power up. Gurdurr pumped himself up before picking the beam back up.

"So Brawly will be doing a lot of that in your match. It hardens the defenses and ups the attack power. As long as you don't give him the chance, he's a bit easier to deal with. But those aren't his only tricks," Tim stated.

"I see. I think I get it now! In other words...keep him on his toes?"

"Yeah, that's it! See you got it," Tim replied, returning Gurdurr.

"Thanks Tim!" May beamed happily, returning Shroomish as well.

"Good job out there May. I think you're ready for the match," Brendan stated, patting May on the shoulder.

"Thanks Brendan, that's sweet of you to say," May responded with a smile.

"Well, shall we go find...nevermind, he's right over there," Tim pointed out, causing May and Brendan to turn around and see a man with blue hair in a surfer outfit, riding a wave into shore.

"Now that was a sweet wave!" Brawly said in a satisfied tone.

"Yo, Brawly!" Tim shouted, gaining the Gym Leader's attention.

"Tim my man, what's happenin'?" Brawly asked as he walked over to the group.

"Not much, just helping out my friends here. They're here to challenge you," Tim informed.

"Right on. Hey, why don't we make it a beach battle? It'll be more fun that way," Brawly suggested.

"I'm on board with that idea," May agreed.

"Me too. It does sound more fun," Brendan replied.

"Cool. So, who's going first?" Brawly asked.

"I am," Brendan announced.

"Whoa, Brendan? You got tall dude," Brawly laughed.

"How many people do you know?" May asked, bewildered.

"I don't wanna answer that," Brendan laughed nervously.

"He knows about everyone," Tim supplied.

"I guess being the Professor's son has its perks. Meanwhile, I'm Norman's daughter and I hardly know anyone," May sighed.

"I knew that. I visited Norman a while back and saw your picture," Brawly stated.

"That makes me feel a little better," May smiled.

"Glad to hear it. So, Brendan bro, ready to battle?" Brawly asked with a grin.

"You betcha" Brendan stated with a determined look.

* * *

Miles stood inside the museum and looked around with mild interest. He wasn't really a boat kind of guy, but he did like history. It was his best subject in school and he was fond of learning anything new. But he wasn't there for pleasure. As he observed a model of the S.S. Anne, he overheard a few Grunts talking.

"So, do you think it's here?" One Grunt asked another while they looked at various paintings.

"Archie said it would be. Though after Allen and Bernie screwed up the mission a few days ago, I'm not sure. But we'll get the goods and then we'll be one step closer to our goal," said the other Grunt.

Miles made a mental note and walked to the reception desk. "Excuse me, where might I find the bathroom?"

The receptionist looked up and smiled. "Down that hallway to your right," she replied.

"Much obliged," Miles stated in thanks, turning to make his way there.

Slipping into the room, he locked himself in and dialed Courtney.

"What?" She answered.

"Hello cheerful," Miles replied sarcastically. "Just thought you'd like to know that Team Aqua are a persistent bunch of people who won't give up for anything. Remember that package they failed to acquire?"

"Go on..."

"Well, they think it's here. We, however, know for a fact that it isn't," Miles explained.

"Brendan has it still," Courtney replied.

"Bingo. I saw them leave with it. Which means that they were probably asked to hang onto it," Miles deduced.

"Hmmm, this could be tricky. Make sure that Brendan does not lose the parcel. We can't afford to have Team Aqua gain the upper hand. Understood?"

"I hear you loud and clear, Commander Courtney. Over and out," Miles replied, turning off the gear.

Courtney set her gear down and picked up her bowl of spicy noodles and continued to eat. On her monitor was a set of blueprints she was working on. In another browser was a profile of information on Team Aqua, and lastly, one about Brendan. She was very thorough in her research, especially when she found something particularly interesting.

* * *

The beach suddenly became crowded as Brawly and Brendan stood opposite one another, ready to have an official gym battle.

"I hope you're ready Brendan, because you'll need to be in order to face the waves headed your way," Brawly grinned.

"Oh I'm ready Brawly, and you'd better be too," Brendan replied with a smirk.

"Alright everyone, we've got a treat for you today! We've got a gym battle between the Dewford Town Gym Leader; Brawly and Brendan of Littleroot Town!" Announced the judge.

"Now, this is an official gym battle so only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. It'll be a two on two matchup. Combatants, are you ready!?"

Brendan and Brawly nodded.

"Alright then! Brendan gets the first move so send out your Pokémon!" The judge echoed.

"Treecko, Battle station!" Brendan commanded, firing Treecko's ball and releasing him from his chamber.

"Okay, Machop, surf's up!" Brawly called out, sending out the Superpower Pokémon.

"Begin!" The judge shouted.

"Treecko, get in there with Quick Attack!"

"Machop, use Karate Chop!" Brawly ordered.

Treecko burst forth at tremendous speeds, zigzagging to make his striking time less predictable as he approached. Machop prepared a countermeasure and sidestepped the assault and swung down only to be met by Treecko's tail which cushioned the strike.

"Seed Bomb!" Brendan commanded.

Treecko formed a golden sphere in his palm and threw it at point blank range before darting away.

"Bulk up, quick!" Brawly countered.

An explosion went off after the bomb hit, kicking up sand. When the smoke cleared, Machop was standing with his arms crossed and glowing crimson. The Seed Bomb did its work, but not too much impact was made. Then again, the purpose of the attack was to throw Machop off guard.

"Machop, use Ice Punch!" Brawly directed.

"Quick Attack into Pound!" Brendan instructed.

Treecko blurred forward and evaded the oncoming cold infused fist of Machop. He lept high and swung down with his tail only to have Machop grab it with both hands and throw him down hard.

"Ice Punch again!"

"Grass Knot!" Brendan countered hastily.

Machop swung downwards only to trip over a vine that erupted from beneath the sand, causing him to hit the sand with his fist instead of Treecko. Quickly, Treecko swung his tail and batted Machop away, sending him flying and then bouncing along the ground.

 _How did Treecko do that? There aren't any-oh I see...the trees and grass just on the edge of Town. He extended it! That was some tricky business._ Brawly thought as Machop shook his head after getting up.

"Bulk up and use Karate Chop!"

Machop flexed his muscles and powered up. He then took off, his arm glowing brightly as he prepared to strike.

"Seed Bomb!" Brendan countered.

Treecko formed two golden orbs in his hands and waited for the opportune moment. As Machop swung, Treecko ducked away from the chop and stuck the bombs to Machop before jumping away. After a short delay the bombs exploded. When the dust settled, Machop was unconscious.

"Machop is unable to battle! Treecko wins!" Said the judge as his hand went up.

"Great job Machop, you deserve to rest," Brawly stated as he returned Machop. "That was pretty awesome Brendan. I wasn't expecting that at all. Way to go dude!"

"Thanks Brawly. I thought Machop had it won for a second there," Brendan chuckled.

"Well, you certainly shocked me. But now it's my turn. Hariyama, your turn to ride the waves!"

 _Hariyama_!? Tim and Brendan thought at the same time.

The giant sumo Pokémon immerged onto the battlefield and picked up his right foot and slammed it down. This was not good.

"Oh yeah, Makuhita evolved the other day. Pretty sweet huh?" Brawly said with a grin.

"Yeah, sweet..."

 _Okay, get it together. Hariyama are slow. Maybe I can take him down with speed. Wait! Hariyama weigh a lot! The more they weigh, the stronger Grass Knot is. Perfect!_

"Treecko, Quick Attack and use Seed Bomb!" Brendan commanded.

"Bulk Up now and use Ice Punch!" Brawly countered.

Hariyama began to raise his power just as Treecko took off. Treecko fired the nature powered spheres and made direct contact with Hariyama. The spheres exploded. But out of the dust came a powerful ice infused palm that batted Treecko into the ground with intense force.

"Again!" Brawly ordered.

"Grass Knot, Quick!"

Too late. Hariyama connected his icy palm with brutal force, knocking Treecko out on the spot. The vines were just inches from wrapping around Hariyama's ankles.

"Treecko is unable to battle! Hariyama wins!" The judge proclaimed.

The crowd went crazy as they watched. Music was playing and everyone was having a blast. Brawly seemed to have a few fans as there were several signs made for him in the crowd.

 _Phew! Had that Grass Knot hit, Hariyama would have taken a hell of a fall. It doesn't matter too much how strong the opponent is because the damage gets more powerful the more the victim weighs. I lucked out there,_ Brawly thought as he watched Brendan return Treecko.

"That was close Brawly. I almost had that. But I'm not about to give up here. You're not the only one with a secret weapon up his sleeve!" Brendan declared, snapping off Skarmory's ball from his belt. "Skarmory, it's time!"

Brendan released the majestic avian Pokémon from her containment. She screeched and spread her wings wide, creating the sound similar to that of several blades being unsheathed from their scabbards. Tim's eyes popped as he beheld the steel bird in all her ironclad glory.

 _So that was the surprise he mentioned! But how did he manage to get one so early? He actually stands more of a chance now,_ Tim thought, clearly impressed and flabbergasted at the same time.

"Get ready Brawly! Because we're coming for ya!" Brenden declared.

"Bring on the big wave Brendan, I'm ready for it!" Brawly exclaimed excitedly.

"You asked for it! Skarmory, Steel Wing!" Brendan ordered.

Skarmory straightened out her wings and took off at 190 miles per hour in Hariyama's direction.

"Catch it quick!" Brawly reacted.

Hariyama put up his massive hands and braced for heavy impact as Skarmory hammered into him.

"Ice Punch, go!" Brawly demanded.

An emerald aura surrounded Skarmory right as the palm made a solid connection. Skarmory was blown back but didn't seem too badly hurt by the assault.

 _Awesome! That worked out perfectly. The defense boost was lucky but we got it. I just need to mind that Ice Punch and we should be able to win this,_ Brendan contemplated.

"Hariyama, Bulk Up!"

"Drill Peck!"

Hariyama raised his power once more, hardening his defenses as he prepared for Skarmory to come at him. Skarmory screeched and powered forward at starting speeds. Skarmory's beak began to spin like a drill just before her attack hammered home. She pushed with all her weight, causing Hariyama to slide backwards along the ground.

"Ice Punch again!" Brawly ordered.

The empowered sumo Pokémon dug in and directed a powerful punch towards Skarmory, sending her sprawling back through the air. She quickly flapped her wings to right herself and glared at Hariyama.

 _Skarmory can take a beating, but Hariyama's too strong right now. I need to catch it off guard. Wait a sec! That's right!_

"Hariyama, let's end this, one more Ice Punch!"

Hariyama charged forward, his icy palm stretching as he lept at Skarmory.

"Sorry Brawly, but you fell for it! Whirlwind!" Brendan countered.

Skarmory spread her wings and released an intense gust of wind from them. The wind spiraled into a horizontal vortex that pushed Hariyama backwards and then upwards.

"Drill Peck!"

Skarmory rocketed above the airborne Hariyama and then swooped down upon him. Her beak spun rapidly and connected with devastating force. She used the rapid descent to crash into the ground with Hariyama beneath her. A huge cloud of sand kicked up, causing other people to shield their faces. Skarmory's triumphant screech was heard as her silhouette was revealed. With a flap of her wings, the cloud dispersed. Hariyama lay defeated beneath her.

"Astounding!" The judge called out. "Hariyama is unable to battle! Skarmory wins which means that the match goes to Brendan!"

"Way to go Brendan!" May cheered.

"Awesome battle dude!" Tim shouted.

Brendan pumped his fist in the air. He'd won, and boy did that feel good.

"That was a killer battle Brendan. You really turned the tide. As a reward for having defeated me, I present you with the Knuckle Badge!" Brawly announced, handing Brendan the badge he just earned.

"Thanks! And thank you for the fun battle. That experience taught me a lot," Brendan replied with a chuckle.

"I bet it did. Now, give me a bit so I can heal up. May, you ready?" He asked.

"Uh...yeah, sure!" May said nervously.

"Cool, I'll be right back. See ya in a bit!" Brawly said as he walked to the Pokémon Center.

 **Phew! And there it is! Brendan has badge number two! Wewt! Things are unfolding with Team Aqua and Team Magma as well. Let's see how this all plays out. Don't forget to vote and comment! Thank you!**


	11. Chapter 11

Courtney slowly lowered herself into the hotsprings just outside of the Pokémon Center. There were several there, most of them filled with elderly folks and other younger people as well. She had a long day of training and needed something to release the tension she felt and ease the pain. She sighed in relief as she eased more into her own spring that was large enough for just her.

She closed her eyes and cooed at the pleasure inducing feeling against her bare skin. As she relaxed, her mind began to wander and for some reason, Brendan's face intruded her thoughts, causing more than the steam of the spring to get her face hot. Her eyes popped and she shook her head vigorously at what went through her mind.

 _Analyzing thought process...too much research, too much research, too much research!_ Courtney thought, trying to calm herself down.

As she cooled her jets, she closed her eyes again to relax. She did ponder, however, what actually meeting him would be like. Would he find her awkward? Weird? Odd for studying him like notes for an exam? She couldn't help it though. From his odd white hat to his brilliant hazel irises, he was an intriguing and dare she think...beautiful specimen of a human being? Oh Arceus what was she thinking!?

* * *

Back in Dewford Town, the battle between May and Brawly raged on. Shroomish and Machop had fought to a standstill with Machop Paralyzed and Shroomish running out of steam. Machop panted heavily and clenched his fists. Shroomish straightened up and stared expectantly at Machop, nearly out of breath.

"Let's try to wrap this up, use Ice Punch!"

"Seed Bomb, Shroomish!" May counterattacked.

Machop dashed forward, his movements sluggish compared to before, and thrust his fist with all his might, right into the Seed Bomb filled mouth of Shroomish. The resulting detonation ended up knocking both contenders out of the fight.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle. Therefore it is a draw!" Said the judge as his hand went up.

 _At least it didn't happen at the end of the match. That would have been awful_ , May sighed in relief, returning Shroomish.

"Alright May, it's time for the final showdown! You ready?" Brawly asked as he reached for Hariyama's ball and fired it onto the sand.

The behemoth of a sumo Pokémon slammed onto the sand and assumed a combative stance.

"Here goes nothing. Torchic, it's your turn!" May called.

The little fire chick burst out of his ball and looked up at his opponent. His eyes went wide as he noticed the size difference. Hariyama could flatten him with one hand! But now was not the time to be thinking about that. May needed him.

"Begin!"

"Torchic, use Ember!"

"Hariyama, counter with Arm Thrust!"

Torchic opened his beak and let loose a burst of flames that spread out towards Hariyama. The massive sumo didn't bother moving aside and simply thrust out his hands. The attack connected with little effect, causing Torchic go panic a bit.

 _Well that didn't work. Hmm...maybe I should take another approach._ May mused. "Torchic, Quick Attack!"

Torchic was off like a shot towards Hariyama who merely stood there in wait. Just then, he tensed his stomach muscles and allowed Torchic to ram him. Torchic was dazed from the impact and stumbled a little.

"Hariyama, use Arm Thrust!" Brawly ordered.

The giant hands began slamming into Torchic, each strike as painful as before. Torchic hit the ground and got up painfully slow.

 _This isn't good!_ May thought while covering her mouth. _I-I don't know if I can do this...I-_

"Don't give up May! You can win. Remember what I told you the day we met!" Brendan reminded her, triggering a memory.

A smile spread across her features as she silently thanked her friend.

 _Right! Don't rush in. Strategically plan your next move! Come on May, think! Wait! Wow I'm so slow! We're on a flippin BEACH!_

"Hariyama, Arm Thrust again!"

"Oh no you don't! Torchic, Sand Attack!"

The lumbering sumo charged in and thrust his open palm down at Torchic who quickly kicked sand in his face. Hariyama covered his eyes and stumbled about.

"Now use Peck repeatedly!" May called out.

Torchic rushed in and jumped high onto Hariyama's head. His beak glowed brightly and he began to peck ralidly at Hariyama. The rotund Pokémon staggered around until he fell over, out of the fight.

"Hariyama is unable to battle! Torchic is the winner which means that the match goes to May!" The judge exclaimed.

"Way to go May!" Brendan shouted.

May flopped onto her rear and sighed. "Phew! That was exhausting..." Torchic ran and jumped into her arms. "Thank you Torchic, you did amazing out there!"

Brawly clapped as he walked over to May.

"Well done," he began, "you really did great out there. You never gave up and you pulled through. It's a pleasure to be able to give you this," Brawly said with a smile, handing over the Knuckle Badge.

May's eyes gleamed with excitement. She'd acquired her second badge! Happy was nowhere near adequate a word to describe what she was feeling. She took the badge and returned her Torchic.

"Thank you so much!" May beamed, turning to show the badge to Tim and Brendan.

* * *

Courtney wandered back into the hideout and into her room. She sighed as she sat herself down on her bed and checked her messages. She left the gear off so as not to be disturbed. She blinked as she saw a new message.

 _ **Still no sign of Brendan or his friend. Team Aqua is still here though. Just reporting what I know for now. I will let you know if anything changes.**_

Courtney set her gear down and walked over to her computer and sat down. Aside from being in a hotspring, this relaxed her as well. She opened up her blueprint file and continued to tweak it. There was a knock on her door. Sighing, she stood up and walked over to open it. Tabitha stood there.

"Yes?" She said impatiently.

"I assume you heard about Team Aqua in Slateport right?" Tabitha queried.

Courtney nodded. "What of it?"

"It's unsettling. This is highly unlikely, but we don't know the location of our orb, what if they know theirs?" Tabitha proposed.

"Illogical. Slateport Museum would be too obvious. It's not there," Courtney replied dryly.

"Thought so. It wouldn't make any sense for it to be there. In any case, how were the springs?" Tabitha queried.

"Fine," she hastily replied, not wanting to disclose anything else, especially her thoughts at said spring.

"Good to know. Well, we have a meeting in two hours. New recruits have joined the cause. We are in charge of their initiation," Tabitha informed her.

"Noted. Thank you." With that, she closed the door and went back to her research.

* * *

"Well guys, it was nice seeing you both. I hope we meet up again soon," Tim said as Brendan and May began boarding Mr. Briney's ship.

"Same here. Maybe we'll have a battle at some point eh? Won't that be fun?" Brendan said with a grin.

"You said it," Tim replied.

"We're ready to shove off you two," Mr. Briney called out to them from the boat.

"It was nice meeting you! And thanks again for your help," May chirped.

"Not a problem May. Make sure you do your best in the next gym battle. You're gonna need to pull out all the stops there," Tim revealed.

"Don't worry, we will. Thanks for cheering us on Tim. Say hi to Lucia for me okay?" Brendan said as he turned to board the boat.

"Will do! Take care you two," Tim waved as the boat pulled away.

"You have nice friends Brendan," May spoke up.

"I agree, I mean, you are one of them you know," Brendan laughed heartily.

"Sure am!" May replied proudly.

"Hey Mr. Briney! How long til we reach Slateport?" Brendan hollered.

"Oh, three to four hours, give or take a few!" He replied loudly.

"That's plenty of time to relax," Brendan sighed contentedly, kicking off his sandals and lounging on his deck chair.

"I agree with you there. Hey, want some Razz Berry Pop? I got a few cold ones if you like them," May queried, opening her cooler and offering a bottle.

"Are you kidding? I love that stuff!" Brendan exclaimed, taking an offered bottle and popping off the cap to take a swig.

"Me too! They're the best!" May smiled, popping hers open as well.

The two relaxed and conversed for the remainder of the trip. After five hours, slightly longer than the estimated time, they were docking at Slateport City.

* * *

 **Another one in the books! May has her badge and Courtney's feeling slightly embarrassed of herself. There is bound to be more of that later on. Not to spoil anything, but things will heat up a bit. So. What do you all think? Come on, don't be shy. Let me know if you enjoyed this in the comments.**


	12. Chapter 12

"Honey! Come quick, Brendan is on TV!" Mrs. Birch hollered excitedly as the news popped up.

Hurried footsteps could be heard and soon Professor Birch burst into the living room.

"He is?" He asked, nearly out of breath.

"Look! This was the recording of his first two battles. The Leaders must have submitted it yesterday," Mrs. Birch explained.

"It's time for Trainer Talk! That's right, this is the part where we take a look at this year's up and coming trainers. Our story today is none other than Brendan Birch, son of the renowned Professor Birch." The news anchor started.

"This is live footage from his gym match with Rustburo's Roxanne. All I have to say is that Brendan is looking good right now. But wait, it gets better. He recently triumphed over Brawly on a beach battle! There were several surprises, with the inclusion of Brendan's recently caught Skarmory. Add in our previous Trainer Talk stars, May Maple and Tim Kunning and it was truly an eye-opening experience," the anchor continued.

"Wow, Tim really was there. And May too," Mr. Birch commented.

"Shhhh! They're still talking about Brendan," Mrs. Birch quieted her husband.

"Soon, we will be seeing both May and Brendan in action again. Over in Slateport City right now are our interviewing specialists Gabby and Ty. Gabby, how do you feel about these two?" The anchor queried.

"I'm quite ecstatic Brandy! I mean, interviewing Tim was awesome as he is the real deal, but getting to interview the son of the Professor and the daughter of Norman Maple is almost too much to handle. I can't wait!" Gabby exclaimed.

"I bet you can't. Oh, and let's not forget who else is going to be in Slateport. All you contest fans better get geared up because Lisia will be there!" Brandy announced.

"I can almost hear the fans screaming. I should know, I'm one of them!" Gabby squeeled.

"We know Gabby. Anyway, be sure to stay tuned for more information about that event. We will be keeping you all up-to-date with the trainers we find and who knows, maybe you will get to make an appearance on the show. This is Brandy, signing off!"

Mrs. Birch changed the channel and squealed happily. "Brendan's doing so good!"

"That's our boy. It seems like Norman's girl is doing just as well. They really seem to get along," Professor Birch pointed out.

"Well, our boy is one handsome devil. And he makes friends quite quickly too," Mrs. Maple added.

"Well, I had best get back to the lab. A few trainers sent their Pokémon to me that they recently caught and I plan to study them," Mr. Birch said as he walked off humming.

"And I'll rustle us up some breakfast. Now...what to make?" She pondered, walking into the kitchen.

* * *

Courtney rewound the recording she had done of Brendan's battles and began to analyze them more. She was beginning to see more of his strategies and was growing more and more impressed as she watched. Though her face looked as though it were perpetually bored, her expression was capable of change. Within minutes of his battle with Brawly, it went from her resting bored face to a wide-eyed expression that could rival the adorable look of newborn Eevees. Her ears even twitched like one.

The way he handled sticky situations made her hunger for more information. As a woman of science, she would go through whatever lengths necessary to understand the subject at hand. Many new thoughts began to surface. Among those thoughts were a bunch of 'what ifs.' Then it dawned on her.

 _What if he were to join us?_

* * *

Brendan yawned as he woke up on Briney's ship. He and May decided to stay in the room below as it had plenty of room and two beds. The two swapped stories most of the night and went to sleep rather late. Now he was wide awake. The door to the cabin opened and May walked in with two plates of food. Brendan drooled.

"I saw you were still sleeping, so I got you some food," May smiled, handing him a plate full of hash browns, eggs and choice beef as well as waffles!

"You are an awesome friend!" Brendan replied as he gladly took the plate and tore into the food.

"And so are you. My, you were hungry huh?" May giggled, watching Brendan destroy his meal.

"Uh...yeah. That and breakfast is my favorite meal so there's that," Brendan chuckled.

"I can tell. Well slow down, your food's not going anywhere," May laughed.

"You're right. Anyway, remember what Mr. Stone asked us to do?" Brendan inquired as he ate more.

"Yeah," May paused to take a bite of her pancakes. "We need to find Captain Stern. I'll bet he's at the museum. Most of his ship models are there."

"Bingo. So we head there first thing. After that, I figure we can check out the rest of the city for a while. Sound good?" Brendan asked as he took another bite.

"Mhm, it does!" May replied after swallowing a mouthful of food.

* * *

Within the Oceanic Museum, on the second floor, a man with brown hair and dark brown eyes and a lab coat stood over a model he had constructed. It was of a submarine. A ringing noise caught his attention which had him reaching for his gear.

"Hello? Stern here," he said casually.

"Ah, you're awake I see! Excellent!"

"Mr. Stone?" Stern replied, a faint smile on his face as he spoke.

"Quite right! Tell me, have you received the goods? I sent it with two young trainers. It should arrive any time now," Mr. Stone informed.

"Hmmm, I'm afraid not. Can you describe the people to me so I'll know who to look for?" Stern asked.

"Why it's Brendan Birch and May Maple!" Mr. Stone said with enthusiasm.

"Now those are a few names making quite a buzz. Alright, I will be on the lookout," Stern added as he hung up.

* * *

Miles sat at his table in the hotel and drank a cup of coffee. He had also seen the morning news and was quite intrigued by it. Apparently there were three trainers that were the talk of the town, one being Courtney's subject of interest. As he looked his hotel window he spotted a familiar white hat. Immediately he picked up his gear and messaged Courtney.

 _ **He's here, and he has the package with him.**_ Miles messaged.

 _ **Good. Make sure to stay near and find out what you can.**_ Courtney replied.

 _ **Will do. I'm on it now.**_ Miles replied, heading out of his room and down the elevator with haste.

The Oceanic Museum was abuzz with activity. Many a Team Aqua member crowded into it in order to look at the artwork and models that represented their love for the sea. Tourists flooded in as well, making it a really busy day for the museum. Among the tourists was Miles, who managed to reach the museum before May and Brendan. He had seen the two stop to look at shops along the way.

Good. It bought him time to think. He'd seen Brendan in action and while May was decent, Brendan had the edge by a wide margin. And then there was Tim. It was a good thing he wasn't around. Now there was a threat he'd rather stay clear of. Why wasn't Courtney interested in him? Then again, comparing Tim and Brendan was tough. When it came to power, Tim had the advantage. But on the flipside, Brendan held a major strategic advantage. Perhaps that's why Courtney was so intrigued by Brendan.

The bell dinged as a new individual entered the museum. Miles turned his head to see Brendan and May.

 _Speak of the devil,_ Miles thought as he watched the two from afar.

Brendan turned to notice exactly what he'd gotten into. There were a ton of Team Aqua members in the museum. He also noticed a bunch of tourists as well. And with his face being on TV now, he was bound to be noticed. His eyes shifted and met with Miles. He was motioning with his eyes as if trying to tell him something.

Brendan followed his gaze to see more Grunts near the stairs. How was he going to get through without being noticed?

"What do we do?" May whispered.

"I don't know...but I think that guy is trying to help us," Brendan replied as he and May ducked behind the counter.

"The one in the collared black shirt and hat?" May asked quietly.

"Are you two okay?" Asked the receptionist.

Brendan and May didn't answer as they poked their head around the corner.

 _Courtney did say not to let Team Aqua get the package, and to do whatever I have to in order to ensure it doesn't happen. Okay...I'll lend the boy a hand._ Miles thought as he reached down to his three Pokéballs and set loose one of his companions.

"Haze," Miles commanded.

In a flash, the museum was filled with a dense fog. All hell broke loose and the tourists began to panic. Brendan could see what appeared to be the silhouette of a lamp-like Pokémon in the midst of the fogginess. Taking that as a sign to move, he and May bolted through the path that the Pokémon had lit for them. Miles returned his Pokémon and followed the group on the opposing staircase, leaving the befuddled tourists and Aqua Grunts to their own devices.

* * *

"Now what on earth could all that noise be about?" Stern muttered as he headed towards the stairs where Miles was coming up.

Just as he was about to turn the corner, he heard voices.

"Captain Stern?" Brendan called out.

Stern turned around to meet him. "Yes, that's me. You must be Brendan and May. You have perfect timing. I believe that you have something for me?"

"Indeed we do!" May stated, motioning to the case that Brendan was carrying.

"Ah! There it is!" Stern said as he took it from Brendan with gratitude. "Thanks a million. Now I can-"

"Hand it over to us? Why thank ya Captain, that's mighty kind of ya," a voice came from behind.

Brendan and May turned to see two members of Team Aqua. Thankfully that was all there were.

"Who are you? What do you want with this?" Stern demanded.

"You have something that belongs to Team Aqua. We are just here to retrieve it," one Grunt grinned.

"I'm sorry, but, we're not gonna let you do that," May stated, nodding to Brendan.

"Oh? You think you can stop us? We'd like to see you try! Mightyena, chow time!" A Grunt bellowed.

Both Grunts released the same dark dog. Both stood proud and snarled viciously at their enemies.

"Torcic, time to fight!"

"Treecko, battle's on!"

Both starters stood confidently before their trainers and foes. Both sides stared each other down, gauging their opponents from a safe distance until...

"Treecko, Quick Attack!"

"Torchic, cover him with Ember!"

Treecko bolted forward at blazing speeds, leaving a white trail behind him. Torchic's spitfire assault fanned out shotgun style, over Treecko who landed the first strike on one of the Mightyena while the other dodged the flames.

"Get them Mightyena, use Crunch!" One Grunt commanded.

"Attack with Payback!" Said the other.

One Mightyena raced off towards Torchic, and having the speed advantage, reached him quite fast and clamped down on his body before swinging him around like a ragdoll. Torchic was then flung across the room into a wall.

"Torchic!" May cried.

Treecko was dealing with his own problems as Mightyena leapt on him with intense ferocity, sending him careening into the wall opposite Torchic. Both Mightyena began to close in on their targets. Torchic struggled to move and Treecko stood up slowly, his focus on the injured Torchic. Though he was wounded harshly, he was not about to let his friend get hurt.

 **"Treeeeeckooo!"** He roared, causing a bright white light to erupt around his frame.

Treecko grew in height, becoming a much larger reptile with a darker green leaf on his head that was very long. He retained the red underbelly and grew sharp claws as well as three leaves on each wrist. Treecko had evolved. In a burst of speed, he suddenly appeared in front of the other Mightyena that threatened Torchic. He glared down at him as if daring him to strike.

"Don't be afraid of him! Both of you take him down!" One Grunt ordered.

Brendan, though elated to see his friend evolve, had no time to celebrate. Torchic was back on his feet, but still hurt. Both Mightyena launched themselves at Grovyle. It was time to see just how strong Grovyle really was. And it all started with a new move.

"Leaf Blade!" Brendan countered.

"Oh no you don't! Two on one isn't fair! Torchic, Ember!" May commanded.

The flames from Torchic's Ember pelted the Mightyena mid jump. In the process, Grovyle's three leaves glowed a bright green and combined into one blade per wrist. Grovyle lept and slashed viciously at both Mightyena on the way by. He landed behind them and retracted his blades right as they fell over.

"Th-this can't be!" One Grunt shouted, gritting his teeth.

"What be all the fuss about!?" Boomed an authoritative voice from behind the Grunts.

A rather tall, tan and muscular man in a blue wetsuit outfit trekked into the room. He brought with him an intimidating presence that would send most into panic at the sight of him. Brendan and May, however, did not faulter.

"All this trouble just to get what we came here for. I suppose that's what I be gettin' for letting you two try to take care of it. Hmmm," he paused, spotting Brendan.

"I like the look in your eyes boy, it suits ya. The name's Archie. I be the leader of Team Aqua. I heard ya be givin' me mates some trouble, but it seems like I underestimated you a wee bit. I won't be makin' that mistake again. We'll be pullin' out for now. But stand in our way again, and I'll be showin' ya no mercy," Arcie stated, turning and beckoning his men to follow.

Once more, Miles had recorded this fight. Brendan's Treecko had just evolved and boy was it fast. He quickly sent the file to Courtney so she could look at it.

"That was amazing! You two are superb trainers. Then again, I expected nothing less from the son of Professor Birch and the daughter of Norman. It was simply fantastic!" Stern exclaimed.

"Thank you! But it was really Brendan who did most of the work," May blushed.

"Nonsense May! You helped a lot. And besides, it wasn't us, it was our Pokémon who did the work. We just gave them commands. We ought to thank them," Brendan pointed out.

"You're right Brendan. Thank you Torchic! And thank you for coming to his rescue, Grovyle," May said with gratitude.

Grovyle nodded. Brendan patted Grovyle's head before returning him.

"Well, you got your package, safe and sound. Good luck on the project!" Brendan stated.

"Thanks again you two, and good luck on your journey. I will find some way to repay you one day," Stern replied with a grateful smile.

Brendan and May nodded and turned to leave. Miles had already slipped out and was on his way back to the hotel.

* * *

Courtney had received the new footage and was going over the data and taking notes. She noticed his Grovyle's strong will to protect the Torchic, his friend. She saw how confident Brendan remained and how he took action without hesitation. With great teamwork, he and May drove back Team Aqua. Even Archie withdrew out of respect for Brendan's strength.

 _Brendan Birch...you really are an intriguing specimen. Even our enemy respects you. I must study you up close. That day will be here soon..._

 **Dun dun duuuunnnn! Team Aqua got whipped, again and Courtney is still stalking his every move from afar. Oh Courtney, you cute little thing you. You are weird in every sense of the word but also adorable as hell. See you all next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**And I am back again! Sorry for the delay. Life has me very busy juggling work and school. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

Brendan and May lounged in the Pokémon Center in Slateport City. After the fight with Team Aqua, Brendan had a lot on his mind. First there was the fact that the museum was overrun with Team Aqua Grunts. What exactly were they doing there anyway? They couldn't have all been there just to steal from Captain Stern. Something didn't sit right with Brendan when it came to that. What were their motives?

And then there was that other guy in the crowd. He seemed to know what was going on. Who was he? And why did he help them? Furthermore, where did he go after all that? Whoever he was, Brendan wanted to at least thank him for the help. Just then, the doors to the Pokémon Center opened and a female trainer rushed in.

"Oh my Arceus! Lisia is here!"

Brendan and May both blinked.

"Lisia? The contest star that's undefeated so far?" May queried, her eyes going wide.

"I think so, c'mon, let's check it out," Brendan replied as he stood up.

Everyone else had bum-rushed the door and congregated outside by the Contest Hall. Gabby and Ty were there already, filming Lisia and her Altaria. Fanboys and girls of all ages were circiled round the entrance, almost locking her in. She sat sidesaddle on her Altaria so she could acutally get above and see everyone.

"Hello all my lovely fans! You know what time it is!" She chirped excitedly.

The crowd began screaming in excitement.

"Lisia, do you have a boyfriend!?"

"We love you Lisia!"

"You're the best!"

Lisia flashed a brilliant smile before holding up her hand. The crowd reluctantly went quiet.

"As you know, I pick one new person each year to make a contest debut. And today is that day!" She exclaimed.

"Pick me!"

"No, me Lisia! Me!"

Lisia sweat-dropped. "Okay, settle down. Now, which one of you lovely folks should I choose?"

Lisia glanced around at the crowd to see some of them raising their hands, others waving frantically, and some were sweating bullets. Then her eyes found their way to May and lingered.

 _Oh my! She's so pretty! Her friend is cute too. Just look at how well her outfit goes together. Hmmm, a pretty face, possibly cute Pokémon and...wait. I've seen her on Trainer Talk! And him too! Oh, this is a no brainer now._

May looked over at Lisia and then to Brendan with a nervous look.

"Is she looking over here? I think she's looking over here!" She whispered frantically.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have decided who will be my next protégé! My friends," she paused, floating over to May as she spoke, "I give you May Maple!"

May would have fainted had Brendan not been there to steady her. May managed to regain her footing and stood up.

"M-m-me?" She stammered, her cheeks tinted pink.

"Yes, you! I know I don't know you personally, but I do keep up with things other than the contest world. So, what do you say?"

May couldn't believe it. For the longest time she had wanted to become a coordinator. And now, today, she was being handpicked by the Lisia, to be one. She almost slapped herself to check if she was dreaming or not.

"So, what say you, May? Care to step into the contest world?" Lisia questioned.

May looked over at Brendan. The contest world was ultimately what she wanted. She could always go back to the world of battling right? It would always be there, but this opportunity didn't come around often. Brendan, as if knowing what was going through her mind, simply smiled and nodded. May returned the smile and looked over at Lisia. Gabby and Ty were also there with the camera pointed at them.

"I accept!" May declared ecstatically.

The League was a long ways away and the contests ended before then. Maybe she could do both? Deciding that's what she would do, she stepped towards Lisia. Brendan followed.

"There you have it everyone! May Maple is going to be a contest star!" Lisia proclaimed.

The crowd applauded and cheered wildly as May was ushered inside.

"I'll be right back, okay Brendan?" May said as she walked into the Contest hall.

"Take your time, no rush," Brendan replied.

Brendan felt a tap on his shoulder, causing him to turn around.

"Hi! You're Brendan Birch right?" Gabby asked in a bubbly manner.

"Uh...yeah. I am," Brendan replied nervously.

"I knew it was you! The hat was a dead giveaway. I'm Gabby and this is Ty. We'd like to interview you, if that's okay," Gabby requested.

"Wait, a Battle Interview!?" Brendan exclaimed.

"That's right! Gabby and Ty's Battle Interview!" Gabby replied excitedly.

"Well then, count me in!" Brendan grinned.

* * *

"Sorry for putting you on the spot out there. There were a lot of good picks out there. It was tough, and I was about to select one of my rabid fans when I saw you and Brendan back there," Lisia giggled.

"We do seem to have a habit of showing up at odd times," May laughed as well.

"Yeah, but talk about perfect timing! Though choosing between you two was like choosing between Razz Berry Pop and Oran Berry Blast! It was hard!" Lisia whined.

"Well, if it helps. He's a fan of yours, a non rabid one, and I think he gets some ideas from you," May chuckled. "And he likes contests too, he's just super into battling."

"That does make me feel a little better about my choice. I mean, I already feel excited about it! And to show you what I mean, I have a surprise for you!" Lisia beamed.

She took May by the hand and they walked to one of the backstage rooms. The two stepped inside and were greeted by a lot of pink. There was a counter with a large mirror and tons of necessities for girls to gussy up with.

This is the dressing room! In just a few days there will be a contest. And all entrants must have a contest pass, and I just so happen to have one for you!" Lisia revealed.

"Awesome!" May resounded excitedly.

"Oh and one more thing...take a look in that closet over there," Lisia said with a mischievous grin.

May stepped over to the closet and opened it. What she saw made her eyes sparkle.

* * *

"Grovyle, Quick Attack into Leaf Blade! Poochyena, Thunder Fang!" Brendan ordered.

"Thunderbolt! Cover Loudred!" Ty ordered his Magnemite.

"Echoed Voice!" Gabby commanded.

Grovyle's leaves merged into a single blade per arm, and with a burst of speed, he blasted forward at high velocities. Closing the distance, he lashed out at the opposing Magneton, hammering into it with lethal force. Steel-types were resilient to Grass-type attacks, but with the added speed and stopping power that Leaf Blade was given, Magnemite was incapacitated before it could get a shot off. This was the third time it was struck this hard.

Poochyena winced as the loud sound emitted by Loudred sent him sprawling backwards. He was getting a bit worn out from the fight. Then again, Loudred was pretty banged up too after a few Iron Tails. Unlike Grovyle, Poochyena didn't possess great speed. Sure, he was fast, but he was outclassed here. He was about to ready himself when Loudred was suddenly returned.

"Phew! That was quite a battle! Did we get it all Ty?" Gabby asked expectantly.

"We sure did Gabby!" Ty replied.

Brendan smiled and returned his team as well. "Great work you two!"

Gabby fixed her hair a little before walking over and standing beside Brendan.

"So, what words of wisdom would you like to share with our viewers?" Gabby asked, holding the mic up so Brendan could talk.

Brendan thought for a moment.

"You know, honestly, just do your best. My teacher and friend, Roxanne, always told me to put my best foot forward in whatever I do in life. She also stressed something that all Gym Leaders can agree on. Winning isn't everything. It's a hard lesson to learn but it's a valuable one. Also, make friends with your Pokémon. Don't just train them, bond with them. You never know what might happen. In any case, keep striving for your goals and most importantly, don't give up," Brendan concluded.

Gabby smiled at these remarks.

"There ya go people! Straight from the mouth of Brendan Birch. Trainers, if you seek a challenge, be on the lookout for him. This is Gabby and Ty, signing off!" Gabby exclaimed.

* * *

In the Pokémon Center of Rustburo City, a young boy sat at a table while watching the news. It was Billy, someone Brendan had run into before.

"Hey, I know that guy! He helped me out with a bully," Billy said with excitement.

"Did he now? That was very kind of him," came Roxanne's voice as she sat across from Billy.

"Yeah! He sent the bully packing with his Poochyena. He's so cool!" Billy grinned.

"That's my student alright. He always had a soft spot for helping people. Not too long ago he was in my classroom and now look at him, spreading his wings. I'm so proud," Roxanne smiled happily.

"Do you think I can be as strong as Brendan, Tim and May?" Billy asked.

"You heard Brendan right? Just do your best and have no regrets," Roxanne replied.

"Okay! I'm gonna do that! Roxanne, I think I'm ready to battle you now!" Billy said with a grin of excitement.

* * *

"Oh. My. Arceus! You look stunning!" Lisia squeeled excitedly as she looked May up and down.

"I love this dress!" May expressed happily, giving a twirl.

It was a pink dress with purple and white as secondary colors. It was a beautiful work of art indeed. It seemed to fit May pretty well as she and Lisia had similar figures, though May was a bit more well endowed than Lisia in a certain department.

"So, the first contest is in a few days. Do you think you can start?" Lisia asked hopefully.

May thought for a moment. What was she going to tell Brendan? Then again, she was sure he would understand. He was her friend, right? With a smile, she made her choice.

"Sure, I just need to prepare a good routine. Maybe catch a new Pokémon to add variety," May beamed.

"Fantastic! I'm so excited now. I know that you will be great!" Lisia said enthusiastically.

* * *

Miles had returned to base after completing his mission. He passed by Courtney's office and saw her at her computer, typing away at the keys.

 _That woman's like a machine. Does she ever rest? Then again, maybe she always looks half asleep. At least she doesn't look angry all the time. I wonder what she's working on now,_ Miles thought as he observed her.

"Staring is rude..." Courtney said aloud, having seen him from the corner of her eye.

"Sorry Commander, just reporting that the mission was a success. Is there anything else you would like me to do?" Miles asked.

"No. Thank you for your hard work..." Courtney replied, going back to her typing.

"Happy to help," Miles added before walking away.

Courtney sighed and looked at the screen. The blueprints were just about done. Soon she could acutally begin construction. Her eyes wandered to the paused recording of the recent Battle Interview. She thought about watching it again for entertainment purposes this time.

 _All this work is making me tired. Maybe I should just go take a nap. Yeah...a nap. Right after I watch the interview again..._

 **Done! Another chapter finished! Authors like it when people do that! I would love to know the opinion of my audience. No seriously, it helps a lot. Anyway, be sure to be on the lookout for more! Bye for now!**


	14. Chapter 14

"So that's the plan," May stated as she took a sip of her Oran Berry juice.

Brendan and May were inside the Pokémon Center eating pasta and meatballs. They were discussing what the next step in their journeys were. May had decided to take it slow on the gyms and go for contests more.

"That's awesome May! Just so you know, I support this all the way," Brendan replied as he set down his fork.

"Thank you Brendan! I knew you would. You're a really great friend, you know," May smiled.

Brendan nodded and dug into his food again. The day had been a crazy one and it was only three in the afternoon. May had decided to book a stay at the hotel, courtesy of Lisia of course.

"So, will you be there to watch me? I'm kinda nervous about it," May chuckled softly.

"Of course! Now that I have Skarmory, I can fly back here in no time," Brendan reassured her.

"That would make me so happy! I'll be sure to save you a front row seat!" May grinned.

Brendan nodded and the two continued to eat.

* * *

Courtney hammered into the punching bag in the workout room. A few containers of water were seen in a cooler just by the bench. The heat really made training more worthwhile. Her Pokémon were squaring off against one another in separate sparring circles.

Mightyena squared off against Swellow while Ninetales went toe to toe with Camerupt. Magmortar traded blows with a Houndoom. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she gave the bag a rest and sat down for a drink. She snapped her fingers as an indication for her team to stop.

They all took five so the others who weren't Fire-types, and couldn't go too long without water, could drink. Courtney watched her companions rehydrate themselves and rest. Her mind was swimming with an assortment of different thoughts. One of them being what Brendan had said.

 _You know, honestly, just do your best. My teacher and friend, Roxanne, always told me to put my best foot forward in whatever I do in life. She also stressed something that all Gym Leaders can agree on. Winning isn't everything. It's a hard lesson to learn but it's a valuable one. Also, make friends with your Pokémon. Don't just train them, bond with them. You never know what might happen. In any case, keep striving for your goals and most importantly, don't give up._

She sighed, mulling over the concept in her mind. Team Magma always stressed victory at all costs. When it came to facing Team Aqua, losing wasn't an option. If they succeeded, things would take a turn for the worst. Brendan seemed to oppose Magma's ideals, yet at the same time he stressed striving for goals that one had set. He was still an enigma to her.

Another thing that bothered her was the hat. Just what the hell was under it? She could see traces of beautiful dark brown hair. But what else was he hiding?

* * *

"Um...Brendan?" May began as the two finished their late lunch.

"What's up May?" Brendan replied, catching the curious look on May's face.

"I was just wondering. You always seem to be wearing that hat. Any particular reason as to why?" May queried.

Brendan scratched the back of his head nervously. There actually was a reason, he just rarely told anyone.

"It's an old scar I received as a kid, that's all," Brendan replied casually.

"I see. But, why hide it? Is it that bad?" May asked curiously.

"Well you see..." Brendan began as he removed the cap to reveal the scar. It looked healed up nicely, but what it used to be must have been horrible to look at.

"Arceus, what happened!?" May gasped.

"Let's just say that there was an incident with a Salamence and leave it at that," Brendan replied with a shrug.

"Wow...I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have asked," May sighed.

"Nah, it's fine. I don't mind telling you. You're my friend. And friends tell each other stuff," Brendan chuckled.

"That's right!" May agreed.

"Well, I think I'm going to go train now. It'll be a while before I get to Mauville City. Skarmory is fast, but not as fast as a Pidgeot. Also, I have a feeling I might need to get something to fight Wattson with. Grovyle's pretty much all I have in terms of usability against his Magneton. That's pretty much my main worry," Brendan sighed.

"Well, if memory serves me right, there is a desert area not too far from there and it's teeming with Ground-types. Maybe you can try there?" May suggested.

"I suppose it's worth a shot. I bet I can find something pretty useful out there," Brendan beamed.

"That's the spirit!" May cheered.

"Thanks for the advice May. I'll see you before I go!" Brendan said as he dashed out the door.

"You better!" May hollered after him, watching him head to the outskirts of town.

* * *

Shelly took a swan dive off the high dive in the pool inside the Team Aqua base. She broke the surface of the water and revelled in the luxurious feeling the water brough to her skin. As she relaxed, Matt entered the pool area.

"It seems the boy be more skilled than we thought," Matt declared, sitting down by the pool and getting his feet wet.

"Indeed. Has it been confirmed if he is of Team Magma or not?" Shelly asked in an inquisitive manner.

"Not yet. Though he hasn't proven that he's not either. He trounced four of our mates so far. If he be Magma, he's no average Grunt. Just like that shady character I heard about in Magma's ranks," Matt replied.

"You mean the one who our members never seem to see coming in a fight? Yeah...he's been a real nuisance as of late," Shelly grumbled.

* * *

"Achoo!" Miles sneezed, nearly dropping his bowl of beef stew.

 _That was odd. Maybe I put too much spice in here..._

* * *

"Either way, it seems we have two things to worry about. This Brendan, and our shady friend of Team Magma. According to Archie, there was a chance that the sneaky devil was in the Museum and caused the thick fog as it was his usual tactic. Brendan was also there. So the chances they are working together are very high," Shelly speculated.

"Aye, and be that the case, we need to recruit operatives to deal with these threats," Matt added, sinking into the water.

* * *

Brendan adjusted his backpack and secured his belongings so they wouldn't fall off. He had a pair of goggles that he was going to use so the wind wouldn't bother his eyes. He had been working with Skarmory on a way to increase her speed to make the flight a little quicker. Before he could go, he heard footsteps echoing behind him.

"Wait up Brendan!" May called to him.

"Hey, you got my message," Brendan replied.

"Duh, ya goof! I just wanted to wish you good luck out there. Be safe okay?" May said with a frown of concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. And I have my friends with me so nothing can go wrong that they can't help me with," Brendan smiled in reply.

"I know, I just don't want to see you get hurt," May said sheepishly.

"Oi, worry about yourself right now. You have a contest coming up! You should be pumped about that. And I'll be right in the front row, cheering you on as your biggest fan," Brendan chuckled, giving May a thumbs up.

"Oh, you better be! If not I'll have quite a bit to say about that," May threatened playfully.

"Oooo, I'm so scared!" Brendan teased.

"Brendan Birch!" May yelled, now flustered.

"Hey, don't worry. I'll be there, I promise," Brendan said with a serious tone.

"Thanks Brendan, now go knock'em dead Brendan!" May cheered as she held out her fist and bumped Brendan's.

Hopping on Skarmory, Brendan gave the command.

"Agility!"

Skarmory exploded forward gaining speed at an increased rate as she ran. With a mighty push, she lifted off and rocketed into the sky. May waved goodbye as he soared out of sight.

 **That takes care of that! A short filler chapter with little tidbits of info tucked into it. Worry not my fellow readers, May will still have an impact on the story. Until next time, ciao!**


	15. Chapter 15

Skarmory screeched through the skies, leaving contrails in her wake as she raced along. Brendan kept both hands on Skarmory to steady himself. He and Skarmory had practiced for a while until he was able to stay on without losing his balance. This was great considering the possibility of him falling into either one of the many trees below, or onto the ground. As he looked down at the ground along he spotted several trainers having battles. Deciding that he'd been flying long enough, he tapped Skarmory and ushered her towards the ground. She complied without question and dove.

Five trainers were all gathered around a battle that was taking place. A young boy with short black hair, wearing a bright orange shirt and black shorts stood by what looked to be an Electrike. His opponent was slightly rotund and had a strap going across his white collared shirt. He wore gold framed glasses and had black hair. Beside him was a Nuzleaf.

"You got this Timmy!" One of the trainers shouted to the owner of the Electrike.

"Get him Edwin!" Another shouted at the glasses wearing trainer with the Nuzleaf.

"Today's the day Elecrike and I get our first win!" Timmy declared confidently.

"Don't be so certain young Timmy. Trainers such as I, have moved beyond the beginning stage. And the evolved state of my Pokémon are the proof," Edwin grinned.

"Big deal! My dad trained me to battle right after I got my license so get ready to lose! Electrike, use Spark!"

Electrike began to charge his fur with powerful electrical currents that formed a sphere around his body. In a burst of movement, he took off, aiming to headbutt Nuzleaf with his element.

"Razor Leaf!" Edwin commanded.

Nuzleaf extened his mitten-like hand and gathered the power of nature into his palm before releasing a storm of sharp leaves towards Electrike. The electric canine was pounded by the assault and forced back to his trainer, scratch marks lining his body. His attack fizzled out.

"Come on Electrike, hang in there!" Timmy cheered.

"Are you sure you wanna continue? You did say that Electrike is new right? That training you did was probably also short notice, so it's okay if you back down," Edwin stated out of concern.

"I can't back out now. I promised my family that I would become a great trainer and backing down isn't something I can do!" Timmy shot back.

"But sometimes it's the right thing to do," came a strangely familiar voice.

The crowd of trainers looked over to see Brendan walking towards the group.

"Hey, you're Brendan aren't you!?" Timmy pointed out.

Brendan blinked and then it registered. "Yeah, sorry, forgot that I made an appearance on Gabby and Ty's show and apparently Trainer Talk."

"You were so cool! My older sister is a huge fan of you and Tim," Timmy informed.

"That so? I'm flattered, but I'm really not all that good. Tim on the otherhand is great," Brendan chuckled.

"Don't say that! What you said on TV inspired me to take my first step into being a trainer. I mean I already wanted to be one after seeing Tim in action, but hearing your words sealed the deal!" Timmy declared.

"I too, became inspired by your words. I had a desire to battle either you or Tim if we ever met. Looks like fate has brought you here," Edwin smirked.

"Hey! You're battling me, remember!?" Timmy shouted.

"Timmy, your Pokémon can hardly stay standing. Perhaps you should return it," Edwin advised.

"But-" Timmy started.

"Timmy huh? Now I see why you think Tim is so cool. Listen, sometimes throwing in the towel can be a good thing. I know that I said to never give up, but not giving up and knowing when to quit are two sides of the same coin," Brendan explained.

"You mean, it's okay to quit once in a while?" Timmy asked, bewildered.

"Yep. Because doing that will help you grow as a trainer. Your opponent knows this as well," Brendan stated.

Edwin nodded. Timmy looked back at Electrike and sighed.

"Okay," he said, "get some rest Electrike."

With that out of the way, Brendan faced Edwin. "Now, I believe you said you wanted to challenge me?"

* * *

The day was drawing to a close and the denizens of Slateport City were beginning to get off work. May flopped onto the bed of her hotel room and sighed contentedly.

 _I wonder how Brendan is doing_ , thought May as she relaxed.

 _This is just all so exciting. I can't wait to tell mom and dad. As a matter of fact, why don't I do that now!?_

May grabbed her gear and dialed her family. After a few rings, her mother picked up.

"May!" Her mother exclaimed.

"Someone's happy, hi mom!" May replied.

"Your father and I saw the news. We are very excited for you!" Mrs. Maple squealed.

"That's such a relief! I am so glad," May replied, plopping back onto her mattress with a big smile.

"So when's the contest? Your father and I want to be there for your debut," she asked.

"In two days. It's short notice but I'm sure I can come up with a few ideas. I just need to find another Pokémon to add to my team," May added.

"I see. You wanna make things more diverse right?" Mrs. Maple inquired.

"Yeah, I mean I have Torchic. And he's cute and all, but I need to train him a bit more. There are battle rounds if I recall," May inputted.

"Ah, of course. Well, do what you can sweetie! We will be rooting for you!" Mrs. Maple said with a smile.

"Thanks Mom! Talk soon, love you! Bye!" May said as she hung up.

"Love you too!" Her mother replied.

* * *

"Lombre, use Water Gun!" Edwin commanded.

"Poochyena, Dig!" Brendan countered.

Lombre reared his head back and loosed a stream of high pressure water towards Poochyena who quickly dove underground. Within seconds, Poochyena closed the distance and erupted from below and headbutting Lombre in the chin, sending him flat on his back, out after a very long battle. Poochyena was breathing heavily and toppled over in exhaustion, still conscious.

"Looks like you win Brendan. It was an honor to have battled you," Edwin said with a smile of satisfaction.

"You were one tough opponent. Two draws and then this. You have quite a strong team," Brendan laughed.

"Yes, well...I nearly had your Skarmory with Houndour. But she was gutsy enough to take a point blank blast to the face to take him out. Then again neither won that bout," Edwin stated.

"No kidding. Poochyena got lucky here too," Brendan chuckled.

"Not entirely Brendan. That Poochyena's pretty crafty. He would have really had the upper hand if he evolved. And judging by his strength, I'd say that it's not too far from now," Edwin surmised.

Brendan nodded and looked down at Poochyena. He had been after this one for a while and now he would soon become something much greater. Brendan looked up at the sky to see that it was getting dark. It was getting dark and Brendan needed to either get to Mauville now or camp out for the night.

"You okay Brendan?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm just trying to get to Mauville City as soon as I can," Brendan replied.

"I see. Well, perhaps I can help you with that? Here. It's a Super Potion for your Skarmory. It should get her back on her feet post haste," Edwin replied, taking the potion from his bag and handing it to Brendan.

Brendan smiled. "Thanks Edwin, I'll pay you back one day."

"No repayment is necessary. I'm a collector of sorts, so I not only collect Pokémon but an abundance of items as well. Parting with one is of no consequence to me," Edwin replied.

Brendan released Skarmory and sprayed the potion on his injured friend. She felt a surge of energy and spread her wings wide. Screeching her gratitude she pressed her head into Brendan's gentle hand.

"There ya go girl. All better?" He asked, getting a nod in reply.

"Hey Brendan," Timmy began. "Good luck in Mauville! Do your best!"

"Yeah, go for it Brendan!" A few of the other trainers cheered.

Brendan nodded and hopped on Skarmory and took off. It wasn't too much longer until he reached Mauville. And if he had to stop for the night he would. Unbeknownst to the trainers below, a presence was lurking by.

It was a young woman dressed in an Aqua uniform. She had concealed herself well and was now dialing on her gear. It rang a few times before a feminine voice answered.

"Hello?" Shelly stated.

"Hi, it's Zinnia. Brendan was spotted just now, taking off. It seems he is heading for Mauville City."

"Really now? Hmmm...our operation isn't too far from that place. If he gets involved then there will be trouble. I will inform our team. Thank you flr letting me know," Shelly replied, hanging up.

Zinnia sighed and looked up at the darkening sky with a far away look in her eyes.

"It won't be long now..."

* * *

 **And we're moving forward to more of the plot! I hope this has been an enjoyable ride so far! If you like it, let me know! If you don't, well, don't read! You know the drill. Peace!**


	16. Chapter 16

It was rather late by the time Brendan checked into Pokémon Center in Mauville City. Skarmory was exhausted by the time she landed and Brendan was barely awake. He ended up checking in at midnight. He had given the nurse his Pokémon for overnight treatment and went directly to bed, clothes and all.

He woke up the next morning and was just getting out of bed when his gear rang. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and fumbled for his gear. It was May calling.

"Hello," he answered groggily.

"Wow, you sound exhausted. What time did you get to bed?" May asked as she sat at the breakfast table eating pancakes.

"Midnight, I think. What time is it?" He muttered almost incoherently.

"It's eleven o'clock. Wow, did you just wake up?" May giggled.

"You're kidding me right? Ugh...yeah. It took longer than I thought. Had a battle which is probably why I made it in so late," Brendan replied sleepily.

"Well, at least you didn't have to travel by foot. You'd be camped somewhere different right about now. I'm just glad you made it safe," May sighed contentedly as she finished her meal.

"Are you just now eating?" Brendan inquired as he sat up, finally standing to stretch.

"Yuh huh. I was practicing my routine with Torchic. Oh! Get this, I caught a Wailmer! I was just sitting by the docks when he just swam up to me," May exclaimed.

"Sweet. Glad to hear it," Brendan replied, yawning a bit as he slowly began to become more awake.

"So what do you plan to catch while you're out there? Any ideas?" May asked curiously.

"Dunno...I haven't thought that far yet. I'll probably go into the desert today and see what I can find," Brendan said as he began undress for a shower. He needed to put his clothes in the laundry so the musty smell would go away.

"Be sure to let me know what you catch! And tell me how the gym battle plays out because I wanna know what I need to look out for," May said in a serious tone.

"Don't worry, you'll get all the details. I promise. Now, I need to eat. Thanks for calling, I appreciate it, " Brendan said with a grin.

"No problem! I should go too. I have more practicing to do. With so little time I need to perfect this routine," May sighed anxiously.

"Hey, don't worry. You'll be just fine," Brendan reassured her, hoping to boost her confidence level more.

"You're right. Maybe I'm just nervous. Thanks for the reassurance Brendan. You're the best!" May said in a more cheery tone.

"You're welcome. Take care, " Brendan replied.

"You too," May said replied before ending the call.

Brendan sighed and walked into the bathroom and shut the door. His Pokémon awoke and stretched, greeting the new morning with tired expressions and happy hearts.

* * *

The city of Mauville served as a hub for all of Hoenn. From the Food Court to the Crooner's Café, this place had it all. The Crooner's Café was filled with elderly folks and young couples alike. All were enjoying a nice cup of coffee in their favored spots. One such individual was a lilac haired woman wearing a pair of black crops that fit snug against her curvaceous figure. A lavender jacket went over her black sports bra and a pair of similar colored tennis shoes housed her feet.

Courtney enjoyed the Crooner's Café, simply due to the soft music and some of the best smoothies that Hoenn had to offer. She also loved the hot drinks, hence the Pumkin Berry Spice Latte with whipped cream that she was drinking. Sure it cost a lot, but it was her favorite. She turned the page of the Mauville Metropolitan to see that there was an article about Brendan, May and Tim.

 **HOENN'S FINEST**

 **This year's crop of trainers has been one of the best in a long time. All over Hoenn there have been trainers rising up on the charts and really getting their name out there. Three that have caught the interest of the media and captured the hearts of many are Tim Kunning, Brendan Birch, and May Maple.**

 **Starting with Tim, he is a high performance trainer who has performed excellently in all of his battles with trainers and Gym Leaders. After battling him a few weeks ago, Wattson had this to say:**

 **I was completely electrified by his performance! He fried me! We had a battle of epic proportions and I gave it my all out of respect and the whippersnapper won. He most certainly deserved that badge!**

 **Bwahahaha! - Wattson**

 **May was our second featured trainer who is also getting a lot more attention as of late. Her match with Roxanne ended in a draw and even after that, she acquired the badge. She was then able to defeat an even stronger opponent and collect a second badge. And as if that wasn't enough, the famous Lisia herself, a magnificent contest star, chose May from among the crowd to become her new protégé. Norman must be proud.**

 **Lastly, we have Brendan Birch who had been under the radar until he claimed victory over Roxanne. The teacher had the following to say:**

 **Words cannot express how proud I feel. To see him where he stands now makes me happy to know that I was his teacher. He has grown into a fine young man and will go on to do many great things.**

 **-Roxanne**

 **With his win over Brawly, as well as a wonderful battle interview, he has certainly made a name for himself.**

 **I can say with certainty that all of Hoenn cannot wait to see what these three do next.**

Courtney continued reading and sipped her latte once more. As she absorbed the information, the bell on the door sounded, signaling the entry of a new customer. Her eyes drifted for a moment and landed right on Brendan. Her half awake eyes popped. This couldn't be happening now. Her heart began to pound at the sight of him.

As he waited by the counter, Courtney noticed him looking her way. It took everything she had to keep the heat from rising to her cheeks. She forced her neutral expression back onto her face so he wouldn't see how embarrassed she was. She turned back to her paper and continued to read.

Brendan waited for his order and glanced over at Courtney again. He noticed the paper she was reading and caught sight of the article on the back. It had a picture of him as well as his friends. Courtney noticed his eyes were directed at her and the paper. A drop of sweat trickled down her right cheek as she prayed to Arceus he would just leave.

Then it dawned on her. He had no idea who she was. Team Magma had been invisible to him and all he'd seen lately are a bunch of Team Aqua creeps. What was she so nervous about! If anything, he should be nervous approaching her! She was Commander Courtney. A smirk twisted onto her lips as she shifted her attention to where he stood and gave him a wave.

Brendan blinked and checked to see if she meant anyone else. She didn't. It was him. With a faint smile, he waved back. Courtney could work with that. She held up the paper and pointed at his picture and crooked a finger, beckoning him over. Brendan held up his index finger, signalling that he needed a minute. Courtney nodded. Perfect.

Brendan received his order and made his way to where Courtney sat. She motioned for him to sit. It was time to play.

"You must be Brendan," Courtney said casually, a half smile on her features as she spoke.

"Yeah...I see you uh, read the article about me and my friends," Brendan replied, indicating to the newspaper in her hands.

Setting it down, she nodded slowly. "Indeed I did. I try to keep up with them every now and then. I find it interesting..."

Brendan canted his head at her remark. He couldn't argue there. Sometimes the news had great articles in them.

"I can say the same. I just never expected to be in one," Brendan chuckled in reply.

 _Analyzing...subject is decent at conversation. He also appears to be slightly nervous. Conclusion..._

 _Meeting him in person is far more interesting than looking at a computer screen._

Courtney noticed that he tended to scratch behind his head a bit. She could also hear a hint of nervousness in his voice. Though she was calm on the outside, inside she wanted to hide.

"I see you managed to acquire two badges in a short period of time. You must be quite the trainer. Another thing that the newspaper mentioned, is that there was an incident at the Slateport City Oceanic Museum," Courtney mentioned, turning it to the front page to show Brendan and May with Captain Stern after the incident.

"I don't remember having my picture taken," Brendan blinked in surprise.

"Huh. Must've been a rogue photographer then," she thought, knowing who said culprit was.

"Probably," Brendan laughed nervously.

"That aside, you are quite popular. I'm impressed with the way you battle as well. Perhaps one day you and I could have one of our own." She nearly blushed at the thought. It sounded to her as if she had said something she needed to repent for later.

"I think that would be awesome. Perhaps we'll run into each other again soon," Brendan proposed.

"Maybe, who knows?" Courtney grinned. "I might just look for you if I want a good challenge." She winked.

As she conversed, her gear beeped. It was time for a meeting. Great. At least she could get a little time to recover after steadying her heartbeat and attempting to get ahold of her hormones. With a sigh and a well rehearsed sad expression, she stood to leave.

"Seems I need to go. It is a pleasure to have met you, Brendan." She let his name roll off her tongue. Arceus she loved saying his name!

"Wait! I didn't get your name," Brendan replied hastily.

Courtney gave him a half smile. "When we meet again, then I'll tell you," she replied with a wink before sauntering away.

Brendan couldn't even get the words out. "Uh...see you soon then!" He managed to call after her.

Brendan sighed and looked down at the paper. He began to read and drink his latte. It was also a Pumkin Berry Spice Latte.

Courtney rode on her Swellow's back towards the hideout. Her face was as red as her uniform. She shook her head vigorously and pushed the thoughts of what had occurred to the back of her mind for later processing. She landed and walked back into the base, dawning her usual half asleep look. She couldn't help it. It was how she looked. Yet Brendan didn't make a single joke about it.

The thought was comforting at least. She made her way to her room to change. It was time for the meeting.

 **They finally meet! Albeit their meeting was brief, it was fun to write. I do hope you all liked what you read.**


	17. Chapter 17

Brendan exited the café about an hour after Courtney had left. He admitted to himself that he got a strange feeling from her. Maybe it was the resting bored and semi-sultry look that she gave whenever she smiled. Whatever the case, she made him nervous and downright curious too. He couldn't figure her out at all. Usually, Brendan didn't have too much trouble making friends with women. But with her, he nearly became tongue-tied.

 _What happened back there?_ He thought as he walked towards the north side of the city.

 _I mean. I never had a problem talking to May or Lucia like that. Is that bad!? No...they're my friends. I should be able to talk to them easily. But still,_ he paused in his tracks, observing several passerbys as they all walked down the path to work. "Why did I get so nervous?" Brendan said aloud with a sigh.

 _It was weird. I felt funny all of a sudden and almost too embarrassed to talk. Mostly because of something that should never be said out loud..._

Brendan shook his head vigorously at the thought of what had occurred.

 _Get ahold of yourself Brendan. Now is not the time to be thinking about that!_ He coached himself, forcing his face to go neutral.

He began to head to the desert in order to find a new teammate to add to his lineup against Wattson. He needed an edge against him and what he had now was anything but that if what Tim said was true. As he passed the north end of the gym, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Uncle please! Let me challenge this gym. I know I can do it!" Pleaded a green-haired boy wity pale skin.

"I'm sorry Wally, but you aren't in any condition to be doing that right now. You only have Ratls and Wattson has several other Pokémon. It wouldn't be fair," his uncle replied firmly.

"I can so do this! Why don't you believe me!?" Wally shot back.

His uncle sighed. At that moment, Brendan walked up to them. Wally turned his head and a huge smile lit up his face.

"Brendan! You gotta help me!" Wally said frantically.

"Whoa, slow down Wally. What's up?" Brendan inquired, wondering what the situation was about.

"My uncle says that I can't challenge this gym because I am in no condition. But I know I can do it. With Ralts at my side, we can do anything," Wally stated with a fixed stare.

"I see. Well-" Brendan was interrupted.

"I know, Brendan. I challenge you to a battle! One Pokémon a side. I need you to help me prove to my uncle that I am ready," Wally stated, snapping off Ralts' ball from his belt and hefting it, nearly dropping it as well.

 _He seriously wants to do this. And I don't have the heart to tell him no._ Brendan sighed.

"I-I don't want you to hold back either Brendan!" Wally declared.

Brendan winced. _So much for that idea. Then again, taking it easy is insulting to any trainer. If he wants my best, then I have no other choice but to give it to him._

Brendan reached for Grovyle's ball and primed it. Wally stared back, a nervous sweat trickling down the right side of his visage. Brendan could see it. He was nervous.

"Okay...h-here goes. Ralts, let's f-fight!" Wally called out, tossing Ralts' ball rather clumsily.

"Grovyle, battle's on!" Brendan said confidently as he released his companion.

Both Pokémon immerged onto the battlefield, each ready to fight for the sake of their trainer. Ralts had been in a few battles but he was still green compared to Grovyle. The dual-typed Pokémon still faced Grovyle with a semi-confident attitude.

"Okay Ralts...uh...Disarming Voice!" Wally commanded.

"Disrupt it with Seed Bomb!" Brendan countered.

Ralts opened his mouth wide and fired a beam of purple hearts towards Grovyle. The tall reptile stood unfazed as the attack drew near. He formed several gold orbs in his hands and thrust them down, creating an explosion that sent out disrupting pulse waves of energy, dispelling the assault.

Grovyle then dove forward in a blurred motion, out of his makeshift smokescreen and with arm blades aglow, nailed Ralts with two clear strikes to the torso. This sent Ralts flying back right into Wally who caught him quickly.

"Looks like I lost," Wally replied with a defeated tone.

"This battle? Yes. But the other battle you won by a long shot," Brendan pointed out.

"Huh? I don't get-"

"What I mean is. The battle of your beliefs. You showed you had heart by battling me and proving that you could do it. Though you lost, you gave it everything, and that is what counts," Brendan explained.

"He's right Wally. I didn't think you were ready for a Gym Battle, much less Brendan. But you seem more capable than what I gave you credit for. Perhaps if you caught more Pokémon and when you have gotten better, you could take the League Challenge yourself," his uncle decided.

"Really uncle!? You m-mean it!?" Wally exclaimed excitedly.

"Absolutely. Now, let's get you home," he said with a smile.

Wally nodded and turned to face Brendan. "Thank you for the battle, Brendan. I promise that one day I will rise to meet you as your equal. So, c-can I c-call you my r-r-rival?" Wally asked nervously.

Brendan blinked as Wally asked him _. Sheesh, you'd think he was asking out a girl or something. But how can I say no to the guy? Besides, I could do with another friendly rivalry._

"Sure, why not," Brendan replied with a bright smile. "But you have to promise that you will make it to the League and meet me there. Are we clear?"

"Cr-crystal!" Wally declared, dawning a bigger smile this time.

"Okay, then it's settled. I'll be waiting for you at the League," Brendan replied as he walked off.

* * *

Courtney sat in the conference room with the other members of Team Magma. Maxie was looking over his notes on the subjects he planned to bring up. Every Grunt sat in their chair, waiting for what Maxie had to say. He finished typing something on his laptop and turned on the projector. On the screen was a map of the Hoenn region. Several locations had been marked by the Magma emblem.

"I am sure you are all aware of the situation at hand is. We are in search of an energy source capable of awakening Groudon from its slumber. However," Maxie paused, "these locations have proved fruitless."

Maxie looked over at Courtney who nodded and stood up. Maxie moved to the next slide.

"Thanks to the cooperative efforts of Courtney and her recruit; Miles, we have discovered an individual who possesses infinite potential. He has thwarted Team Aqua's plans on several occasions, the most recent being the Oceanic Museum," Maxie stated.

"As Commander Courtney has informed me, Brendan is exceptionally talented and able to adapt to vexing situations with creative measures of high quality. It is therefore concluded that he could either be a great asset to us, or a great threat. But as long as we stay under the radar, he will continue his squabbles against Team Aqua," Maxie declared, adjusting his glasses.

"Should you encounter him as opposition, tread cautiously as he has two other friends who boast just as much of a threat. Now, let's discuss our next move..."

* * *

"Alright Torchic, we've pretty much got it down, but let's try one more time," May said as she watched Torchic ready himself.

Torchic nodded and began to concentrate. May had been working with Lisia in order to help her routine along. May didn't want to disappoint her at all.

Torchic inhaled and then bounced up, landing on his beak and spreading his legs for balance. He then belched intense flames and began to spin rapidly until the flames spiraled around him like a fiery vortex. The twister of fire took off like a spinning top, expanding and contracting as he went along.

As the tornado of flame continued, a white light suddenly erupted and intertwined with the orange flames. When the spinning and glowing stopped, a Combusken stood tall.

May blinked. A few seconds later, it registered.

"You evolved!"

* * *

Brendan found himself on a very long path to the west of Mauville. He was informed that the route north was blocked off until it could be cleared of obstruction. He soon happened upon the daycare just outside of Mauville. There, he found a young girl, around eight years old, looking over the fence rather intently at something.

Brendan glanced up to see that there, sleeping in the grass behind the fence, was a Growlithe. Brendan's eyes grew wide. Just then, the door to the daycare opened and an elderly man came out.

"Becca? You're still here I see," the old man said as he walked over to her.

"Yeah...I'm just here to check up on Growlithe, gramps," Becca smiled.

"Ah, the one your father found and brought to me. He's doing much better now," the caretaker laughed.

"I know but...why hasn't anyone adopted him yet? Just look at him! He's cute," Becca whined.

"In am certain that someone will want him. I did advertise that he was available. He has been here a few months and has learned much. He would be a great asset to any team," the old man said with a smile.

Brendan thought for a moment. A Growlithe would be a fantastic addition to his team. On top of that, he could use him against Wattson. Sure, he was no Ground-type, but that didn't matter when it came to this particular case. Brendan smiled and walked over to the fence and leaned over it casually. He let out a long whistle as he saw an abundance of Pokémon.

"Quite a few Pokémon here eh?" Brendan asked nonchalantly, keeping his attention on the Growlithe.

"Indeed there are young man. How may my granddaughter and I assist you?" He asked.

Brendan smirked and faced them. It was time to talk business.

"Well, I sorta just got to Mauville last night. I'm taking the gym challenge and I was looking for more Pokémon to add to my team," Brendan said casually.

"And so you came out here? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but these Pokémon all belong to other trainers," the old man replied seriously.

"I had a feeling. It's a shame though," Brendan replied as he turned his back. "That Growlithe looks kinda nice."

At this, the old man reconsidered. "W-well actually, that one _is_ available."

Bingo! Brendan thought with a grin. He turned around and acted surprised.

"Really? What do you want for him? I don't have much at the moment but-"

"You can have him," the girl beamed.

"I'm sorry, what?" Brendan replied, slightly dumbstruck.

"We've been trying to find a suitable trainer for months. And you seem like a good lad. I will inform my wife that a trainer desires to take Growlithe. Wait here a moment, I will let you in to meet him. And don't worry, he's as playful as they come," the old man said happily.

As the old man walked inside, Becca suddenly hugged him and buried her face in his abdomen.

"Uh..." was all he managed to get out.

Sniffling could be heard before the girl looked up at him.

"Sorry Mister. It's just that, this Poor Growlithe has been here a while and nobody seemed to want him. He's such a sweet one too," Becca sniffled, wiping tears away.

"Why wouldn't anyone want him? Growlithe are great and make loyal companions," Brendan replied with a bewildered look.

"Yeah, well...all the other trainers just want super tough Pokémon and say that Growlithe are weak and won't get very far," Becca grumbled.

"Oh yeah? Well, they're wrong," Brendan grinned. "If I did my homework, which Roxanne would kill me if I didn't," Brendan added. "I wouldn't know how amazing they become after evolving."

"Are they really strong?" Becca asked wide-eyed.

"With proper training, and a Fire Stone, they can become a real powerhouse. Speaking of which," Brendan paused, fumbling around in his backpack, "I have one!"

Becca squealed in delight.

"Are ya gonna evolve it!?" Becca asked excitedly.

"Only if it wants to. Unlike those who don't have a stone-based evolution, Growlithe has a choice. If he wants me to evolve him, then that is what I will do. If not, it will be when he is ready," Brendan replied with a shrug.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. I hope he still wants to though," Becca grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"We'll see. Hey, the gate's open now. I guess I'd better get in there..."

* * *

Within the cool caverns of Meteor Falls, a group of scientists worked tirelessly as they studied the various meteorites within. One in particular caught the attention of the group, so they began to invest time into digging it up.

"This one is extraordinary. Just look at those patterns! I wonder how long it's been here," One scientist wondered aloud.

"I suppose we will find out once we get it unearthed. It may take some doing since it is wedged in deep. Shall we continue?" Said another.

The group agreed and began the excavation process.

* * *

Brendan sat down near Growlithe who had just woken up from his nap. He tilted his head cutely as soon as he saw Brendan.

"Hey there Growlithe," Brendan greeted.

Growlithe looked over at Becca and then back at Brendan. He then proceeded to cautiously approach him. Brendan, knowing the behavior Growlithe was exhibiting, having read about it in class, Brendan allowed Growlithe to sniff his hand. The pup duly did so and then barked, wagging his tail happily as a sign that he liked Brendan.

"Now that you know a bit about me, how about we discuss why I am here?" Brendan started off.

Growlithe sat on his haunches and listened.

"How would you like to join my team?" Brendan proposed. "You would get to travel with me and you would have new friends to call family. We would be going on lots of adventures together. What do you say?" Brendan asked.

Growlithe thought for a moment. He had always wanted a good friend. And Brendan seemed nice and smelled trustworthy enough. What excited him the most was the fact that he was wanted. With little more thought put into his decision, he leapt into Brendan's arms and licked his face. Growlithe had made his choice.

* * *

 **Yahooooo! Growlithe has joined the team! I love the Gen 1 fire dog. He's been a favorite of mine for a while now. Arcanine is also just awesome. Brendan now has what he needs to take on Wattson. Oh yeah!**


	18. Chapter 18

Brendan smiled triumphantly as he made his way back into Mauville City. That worked out perfectly. He was looking for a good companion to face Wattson with, and Growlithe was willing to be a part of his journey. No words could describe how elated he was. He had a fairly good moveset as well. He couldn't wait to face Wattson.

After today he had one more day until May's contest. He'd need to make it back to Slateport in time for that event. There was no way he was going to be missing that. With a spring in his step, he darted off to the gym in hopes of getting started soon. That was the plan, until his gear rang.

"Hello?" Brendan answered.

"Dude, what's up!?" Tim laughed from the other end.

"Hey Tim, how's it going?" Brendan inquired.

"Chillin' like usual. Lucia got sick so I'm taking care of her. How's it going with you and May?" Tim asked casually.

"Eh? May is still in Slateport. She has a contest the day after tomorrow. Or did you not read the news?" Brendan chuckled.

"Nah, I did. I just thought she'd still be training. Anyway, I managed to get my fourth badge and was on my way to my fifth when Lucia called me. I'll be helping her recover before heading out. Just wanted to let you know," Tim stated.

"Shoot, I hope she feels better. And really? Number four? I am just getting to three? Plus I gotta turn around and fly to Slateport tomorrow evening so I can catch the contest. Looks like we're both doing some backtracking huh?" Brendan said while scratching his head.

"Yeah. Hopefully she gets better soon. She wanted to spend time with me this week, but," he sighed, "not like this."

"I hear ya," Brendan replied with a sympathetic tone.

"Well, I'm gonna let you get to your match. Be sure to give it your all dude," Tim stated seriously.

"Don't worry about that," Brendan replied as he hefted Growlithe's ball. "I got just the thing for Wattson," Brendan smirked.

"Good to know. Over and out dude," Tim replied, hanging up.

* * *

May flopped down onto a bench on the sidewalk after training with Combusken. They worked tirelessly on the routine and were just about ready for the show. However, she figured that there needed to be something more added to the routine. But what? She sighed and looked down for a bit.

She began to hear footsteps walking by only for them to suddenly stop.

"Excuse me," May heard a small voice say.

She looked up to see not one but two girls in front of her. Twins in fact. They both wore an emerald colored dress and had their hair done up in buns.

"Are you May Maple?" One twin asked.

"Yes, that's me," May replied with a raised brow.

The twins eyes sparkled. "Wow! So pretty!" The twins exclaimed.

"Awww, thanks girls!" May replied, blushing slightly.

"We saw you on TV. We wanted to wish you good luck in the contest!" The twins echoed.

"Thank you! Oh, what are your names?" May asked.

"I'm Liv!" One said with a goofy grin.

"And I'm Amy!" Said the other.

"Well this was really kind of you Liv and Amy. You two have just made my day," May beamed.

The twins squeeled happily at the comment and then waved to May before running off. May waved back.

 _Huh. Twins are so cute. It's like seeing two of the same person-_

May stopped mid-thought. The lightbulb went off in her mind.

"That's it!" She exclaimed, standing up to head back to the hotel.

* * *

Courtney squared off against one of her subordinates in the workout room. He was fairly new and apparently had an issue with female authority. He knew he wouldn't be able to best her Pokémon in a battle so he challenged her to a physical fight instead. Needless to say, he was not prepared for how quick Courtney was.

In a swift movement, Courtney flashed forward and rammed her fist into his abdomen. His eyes popped and he doubled over in pain. He had not expected her to have that much power in her punches. In another fluid and equally rapid motion, she swung her leg straight up, demonstrating her flexibility, knocking him in the jaw.

The Grunt was put on his back within seconds and pinned after he hit the floor, his eyes traveling up to see her balcony. He grinned in a perverted manner as he could see a little of what she had to offer. Noticing where he was looking, Courtney slapped him, a bored look on her face. She stood up and placed her foot on his chest.

"So...still think that I am not fit to lead? Know your place..." Courtney stated with a blank expression.

She motioned for two of her other subordinates to get him out of the way. Tabitha clapped as the Grunt was helped out of the room.

"You handled that punishment quite well. You didn't break anyone this time," Tabitha joked.

"We need men. I left him with a bruised ribcage and a limp. He's fine..."

"Compared to how you left the last guy? Yeeeeaaaah," Tabitha replied, rolling his eyes.

"So. Our hacking network got a hold of something interesting involving a meteorite. Care to have a look? It was found in Team Aqua's database," Tabitha informed.

Courtney blinked. As a woman of science, she could not pass up the opportunity to read about a meteorite and mess with Team Aqua's plans again. She was feeling particularly good today, and for various reasons. With a nod, she followed Tabitha out of the workout room.

* * *

Brendan stood before the Mauville City Gym as confidently as he had in Rustburo. He was,in for one hell of a fight. Wattson made a game out of shocking his opponents Pokémon. Unless a Ground-type is in the mix, the fight would be difficult. Brendan took a breath and pushed open the doors to the gym.

On the outside, lightning bolts were all over the roof and sides of the gym. Inside was a massive field that looked as though a lot of money was put towards it. As he observed the field, a loud laugh echoed through the gym.

"BWAHAHAHA! Welcome to my gym! I've been waiting for you, young whippersnapper," a portly man with a white beard, wearing a camouflage jacket with lightning bolts on it, laughed.

"Hello to you too Wattson," Brendan laughed in reply.

"Good to see you! So, are you here to challenge my gym?" Wattson asked hopefully.

"You betcha!" Brendan replied enthusiastically.

"Bwahaha! That's the spirit! Why don't we get right to it!?"

* * *

"Okay, so I think this will work. Okay Combusken, go for it!" May called out.

Combusken flipped onto his claws and began to spin and shoot hot flames from his mouth, creating the swirling vortex of fire once again. As the flames spiraled upward, Combusken suddenly duplicated himself and began spinning in a clockwise motion. Combusken soon came to a stop and stood back up.

"Hooray, it worked!"

* * *

Wattson and Brendan stood on opposite sides of the yellow arena. Cameras were rolling and spectators were tuning in from other parts of Hoenn. Poochyena was the first Pokémon that Brendan decided to go with as Magnemite was the choice for Wattson.

"This is an official gym battle between the Mauville City Gym Leader; Wattson and the Challenger; Brendan from Littleroot Town! This will be a three on three matchup. Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon! Brendan gets the first move! Combatants, begin!"

"Poochyena, let's do this! Dig now!"

"Thunderbolt down the hole!" Wattson countered.

Poochyena powered into the ground, leaving a gaping hole in the arena. Magnemite spun its gears and snapped off a Thunderbolt into the hole with deadly precision. Poochyena forced himself against the side of the tunnel he was digging to avoid getting blasted by the attack. Though he avoided one, a second one snapped into the hole and zapped his tail.

Poochyena yelped and dug deeper, racing towards his target with the scent of steel on his nostrils. Howling to gain power, he blasted out of the ground and made a solid connection, sending the floating magnet crashing down. Still capable of fighting, the magnetic Pokémon rose up and pointed his gears at Poochyena again.

"Mirror Shot!" Wattson commanded.

"Bat it away with Iron Tail!" Brendan hastily countered.

Magnemite charged up and fired several blasts of steel energy towards Poochyena. The little canine whirled around, tail coated in reinforced steel as he batted the attack out of the way. A blast of electricity cracked against Poochyena's tail before the attack wore off, shocking him more. Poochyena howled in pain and stumbled a bit before righting himself.

 _That was dangerous. Metal is a great electrical conductor, which was why Poochyena was hurt more. I need to end this quick,_ Brendan thought.

"Dig and Howl!" Brendan commanded.

"Bwahaha! That's funny! We won't fall for the same trick twice. Use Thunderbolt down the hole again!" Wattson ordered.

This time, Poochyena dove down into a new hole and slightly left, just shy of getting struck. He burrowed speedily to where Magnemite was floating and exploded out of the ground. As he was about to strike, a Thunderbolt struck him the moment the connection was made. Magnemite hit the ground with a clang, and Poochyena was down for the count.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! The round is a draw. Trainers select your next Pokémon!"

Both Wattson and Brendan returned their teammates before readying their new ones.

"Magneton, you're on! Bwahahaha!"

This is it, Brendan thought as he reached for Growlithe's ball.

* * *

"Hey look, it's Brendan! He's battling Wattson," a Timmy shouted as he turned up the volume so his friends could hear.

They all sat inside Timmy's house watching the latest gym battles. Brendan's had just come up and they were all glued to the TV.

"I wonder who he will choose to face Magneton? His Poochyena was pretty much his only viable option," Edwin reasoned out.

Then Brendan released Growlithe.

"Okay, now he has more of a shot. Though I doubt Wattson will let it get too close. Hopefully Growlithe has some ranged attacks," Edwin stated.

* * *

"Growlithe, let's get things going with Flame Wheel!" Brendan commanded.

"Thunderbolt, don't let him get close!" Wattson ordered.

Growlithe set himself ablaze and jumped forward into a forward spin. He raced along the ground and steered clear of the lightning strikes that crashed left and right.

"Jump now!" Brendan ordered once Growlithe was in range.

Growlithe lunged upwards while balled up and hammered into Magneton with brute force. Magneton was thrown back and Growlithe landed on all fours. Magneton regained its stability in the air and stared back at Growlithe.

"Zap Cannon!" Wattson resounded.

"Flamethrower!" Brendan counteracted.

Magneton spun all of his magnets and fired off a powerful blast of electricity. The attack was met with a hasty blast of flames to disperse it. The resulting blast shook the arena and clouded it with a thick smoke.

"Don't lose him, blast him out! Wahaha!" Wattson laughed.

 _Could he be anymore jolly?_ Brendan thought. "Sniff it out and use Flame Wheel!"

Growlithe managed to dodge a bolt of lightning only to be struck by a follow-up Mirror Shot. Shaking off the attack, he sniffed for Magneton and lit himself again, rolling forward before leaping. He collided with Magneton right as it was charging another Thunderbolt. Lucky for Brendan, Magneton was knocked out on impact.

"Magneton is unable to battle! Growlithe wins!" Declared the judge.

* * *

"Phew! That was close!" May said as she breathed out.

"For a minute there I didn't know which way that round was going. Either way, Brendan has two Pokémon to Wattson's one. This is it. Go Brendan!" May cheered from her room.

* * *

Courtney sat in her room in her lavender nightwear while watching the televised match. Her eyes focused in on the Growlithe with admiration. She knew what it would evolve into and for some reason, it excited her. It was a good thing there wasn't anyone else in her room.

Mainly because her nightwear was less than appropriate for public viewing, she was eating out of a tub of Rawst Berry ice cream and sitting at the edge of her bed as if watching a soap opera. Embarrassed wouldn't begin to cover how she would feel.

She simply kept her eyes on the match.

* * *

"That was fun Brendan! But this fight is far from over. You're not the only one with surprises. Manectric, let's electrify them! Get it!? Because this is an electric gym? Wahaha!"

Brendan blinked at the joke. He sighed at how corny it was and shook his head. His attention shifted towards Manectric who was the true face of Wattson's team. The other threats were scary enough. Now he had an even tougher challenge to worry about.

"Manectric, use Electric Terrain!" Wattson commanded.

 _That's not good!_ Brendan thought as he watched Manectric change the entire battlefield.

"Growlithe, stay on your toes! Flamethrower!" Brendan commanded.

"Let's show him our true power! Manectric, use Thunder!"

A powerful blast of electricity slammed into the fiery attack and forced it all the way back to its owner, knocking out Growlithe in one shot.

"Growlithe is unable to battle! Manectric wins!" The judge echoed.

Brendan sweat-dropped. He wasn't expecting Growlithe to go down that fast. It was all up to Grovyle now. He had to trust in him.

"Your Manectric is amazing Wattson. But let me tell you something. I don't plan on losing here. Grovyle, battle's on!"

Grovyle immerged from his chamber onto the field and stared down his opposition. This was it. Brendan had nothing else that could contend with Manectric. It was time to get more serious.

"Grovyle, Quick Attack let's go!"

"Drive him back with Flamethrower!" Wattson bellowed.

Much to Brendan's surprise, Manectric opened wide and belched out a cone of fire towards Grovyle who swiftly avoided being singed. Blurring in, he hammered into Manectric, drawing first blood as the electric canine skidded across the arena floor.

"Attack with Thunderbolt!" Wattson commanded.

"Seed Bomb!" Brendan shouted in riposte.

Grovyle raced forward and materialized a few golden orbs in his claws and jumped high. Manectric shattered the air with an empowered Thunderbolt attack, hitting his mark right as Grovyle was at the apex of his jump and releasing the bombs. Due to there being nothing to ground the attack, Grovyle was hurt far worse than normal.

Fortunately for him, his attack also struck home, putting Manectric on his side. Two of the three bombs hit their mark while the other exploded at Manectric's feet, sending him flying. Both Pokémon fought to get up after taking the brunt of each assault.

"You're giving me quite a fight Brendan! I haven't had this much fun in a while! Wahaha!" Wattson belly laughed.

"Glad to hear it," Brendan replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. "But this isn't over yet..."

"You're right. Manectric, use Signal Beam!"

"Quick Attack into Seed Bomb!"

Manectric opened his mouth once more and gathered in multicolored energy before releasing it in one chaotic beam. Grovyle surged forward and dodged around the beam before jumping at Manectric and dropping four gold spheres on the flyby before landing.

An explosion rocked the arena and blurred visual on the screens of viewers for a moment or two. When the smoke cleared, Grovyle was on one knee, breathing heavily while Manectric was out of commission.

"Manectric is unable to battle! Grovyle wins, which means the match goes to Brendan the challenger!"

* * *

"Yay! Brendan did it!" May exclaimed, pumping her fists in the air.

* * *

"That was awesome! Did you see that!?" Timmy shouted excitedly.

"We all did Timmy. It was an epic fight. Makes me want to train harder and battle Brendan again," Edwin stated as he adjusted his glasses.

"Me too! I wanna battle him now too," Timmy agreed.

* * *

Courtney sighed in relief as Brendan came out victorious. She nearly dropped her tub when Grovyle got zapped pretty bad.

 _Analyzing...that was too close. Good thing he won..._

* * *

"Well I'll be! Wahahaha! You beat me Brendan. Well done boy!" Wattson declared as he returned Manectric.

"Thanks Wattson, that was a really rough fight," Brendan replied as he returned Grovyle. "I have my team to thank for this victory."

"That's right! And because you won, I now am able to give you this; the Dynamo Badge!" Wattson said happily as he handed Brendan the badge and extended his hand to shake.

Brendan took it with thanks and placed it in his badge case.

"Thanks Wattson. And thank you for the really fun battle!" Brendan stated as he reached out and shook Wattson's hand.

"Not a problem! It was a blast! Get it!? Because it's the Dynamo Badge! I'm on a roll!" Wattson bellowed.

Everyone watching, Brendan included, palmed their faces.

 **That's all she wrote! Brendan has now obtained his third badge! Woot! You know what that means! Event and contest time are coming up! Wewt! Stay tuned for more!**


	19. Chapter 19

Brendan checked into the Pokémon Center and handed the nurse his team. It was around eight in the evening and many people were getting out of work late and closing up shops. Brendan decided to leave his Pokémon for the overnight treatment and headed out to the Crooner's Café.

He wasn't certain why he wanted to go back there. Perhaps he wanted to see that woman again. But the chances of him running into her at such an hour were pretty slim. As he stepped out into the cool air of the evening, his gear went off. He reached down and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"I'm so proud of you honey!" Brendan's mom exclaimed from the other end.

"Thanks mom. It was a tough match," Brendan replied.

"I know. Your father and I saw the whole thing. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!" Mrs. Birch explained.

"I was sweating bullets out there. His Manectric was powerful," Brendan sighed in exasperation.

"That's Wattson for you. One of the toughest to face. But you did it! Your father and I were rooting for you all the way," Mrs. Birch said with a happy tone.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the battle," Brendan replied with a smile.

"Well, we most certainly did. Your father and I are about to catch our favorite show and then head to bed. Have a good night sweetie! Love you!"

"Love you too mom. Goodnight," he replied before hanging up.

He glanced down at his gear to see messages from Tim, Lucia and May. They were all congratulating him on the win. Brendan smiled and messaged them all back his thanks. He then put his gear away before stepping into Crooner's Café. It appeared to be open mic night as there was a male guitarist up there with a mic providing background music.

Several other musicians were lined up and ready to go. Brendan walked to the counter and ordered a Rawst Berry and Nanab Berry smoothie. The cashier wrote it down and printed the receipt. Brendan glanced over at the corner where he met with the woman, and sighed. He shook his head and waited for his drink.

"She comes a few times during the week," a worker behind the counter stated, catching Brendan off guard.

"I'm sorry...what?" He asked.

"The woman with the short lilac hair? I was here when she called you over to sit with her. I almost thought I was seeing things," the worker laughed.

"Really? Why?" Brendan inquired.

"Because," the worker said as he handed Brendan his drink, "she doesn't talk to anyone. Period. One guy tried and she just stared blankly at him. He ended up being majorly creeped out. Another guy just got a death glare," the worker laughed.

"Ouch. Sounds like they got it rough," Brendan replied, taking a sip of his smoothie.

"Yeah, and then you came along and she changed her tune. At first I thought she swung the other way, but then she gave you that look," the worker smirked.

Brendan raised a brow.

"Bro, she looked directly at you. Also, I think it had something to do with you being in tbe news. By the way, we just watched your match. Way to go dude!" He offered a fist bump which Brendan took.

It appeared as though Brendan was growing in popularity. He was going to have to be careful not to let it get to his head. Roxanne never allowed it in class. He did not want to be reprimanded by her. He sat down at a table after the worker took another order.

 _So she only talked to me?_ Brendan thought, blinking slightly at the words the guy said.

 _Strange. I'm not any different from the other trainers out there. What did she see that's so special that she would talk to just me?_ Brendan pondered as he sipped his smoothie.

 _It's not as if I did any-wait. Duh, she showed me the museum picture. Maybe that's why she talked to me? Still. That's not exactly noteworthy. I mean, the police could have done that. Too bad they never got there in time,_ Brendan sighed inwardly as he took another long sip of his smoothie.

* * *

Courtney put her tub of ice cream away and turned off her television. With a stretch and a yawn she stood up and walked to her computer and turned it on. She opened up the browser Fire Fennekin and typed into the search bar. A web page popped up for popular trainers and sure enough, Brendan's popularity was getting bigger. On the site was his current team.

Thus far he had a fairly strong Poochyena that was sure to be fierce upon evolving. Following that was a surprisingly strong, and new addition to the lineup, Growlithe who she needed to study as well. There was also a Skarmory that showed its prowess by trouncing Brawly's Hariyama. And she couldn't forget his headliner, Grovyle. Once more, he clinched the match with him.

Courtney glanced over at some of the comments with a deadpan. There were a few comments from some guys and a ton from the female populace. She raised a brow. Why was she so concerned about that? An image of her and Brendan talking in the Café crossed her mind. His face made her cheeks burn. She shook the thought away and studied the match.

* * *

Meanwhile, just outside of Mauville City, Miles was doing reconnaissance on reported Team Aqua activity in the area. Due to it being dark, he was perfectly covered by the night. His eyes grew wide when he saw a few members of Team Aqua on the side of the mountain opposite Team Magma's base,of operation. He kept himself hidden behind a thick tree and listened to the conversation.

"So, do you think the boss is right about this plan? Would this really work?" One Grunt asked another shorter Grunt.

"Archie knows what he's doing mate. Of course it will work. He's never steered us wrong and he won't do it now," the shorter Grunt replied.

"I just hope this is all worth it. It'll be a huge catastrophe if it doesn't. Either way, something big's gonna happen," the taller one responded.

 _What are they up to?_ Miles pondered as he watched them walk towards Mt. Chimney.

He followed them until they disappeared into the fiery path. There weren't very many places to hide in there. He'd only get caught if he wasn't prepared.

He decided that the best course of action is to return to base. And that is exactly what he did.

* * *

Brendan returned to his room in the Pokémon Center and began to undress for a shower. He walked into the bathroom and hopped in the shower. After a long and well deserved cleansing, he stepped out, and got ready for bed.

As he flopped onto the impossibly comfortable mattress, he sighed in relief. The day was over. He had his third badge and was now well on his way to achieving his goals. Right now, all he needed was rest and relaxation. Though he still couldn't get her off his mind. She was such a mystery to him. And the fact that Courtney didn't tell him her name got him even more curious. Setting aside the lingering thoughts, he slid under the covers and fell fast asleep.

* * *

 **Short, but it's filler. What can ya do right? This was just a bit of filler with some hints at the plot as well. I hope you all enjoyed reading this! I plan to keep it coming!**


	20. Chapter 20

May rolled over in bed as the sunlight leaked through. It was dawn, and she had been up late going over more for Combusken's routine. Lisia had talked to her about the appeal rounds which was what she had no trouble with. For the battle round though, she had to work up a way for her attacks to be appealing yet ferocious.

That was when she remembered how Brendan caught Skarmory. Using the explosion from a Seed Bomb to get an extra burst left a beautiful after effect. And the follow-up was tasteful too with just a touch of tenacity. She blinked. She was thinking like a judge!

She tapped her chin and thought of Combusken's moves. She could use the Fire Top technique she had created as a sort of counter shield while at the same time stressing offense with it. He knew bounce too in order to gain extra height and be out of range for any incoming assaults. The possibilities were narrow at the moment. Perhaps there was a chance to make use of Double Kick as well.

She made up her mind to go and practice. She needed to tweak the routine just a bit more and she would be satisfied. With that settled, she got out of bed and began to ready herself for the day.

* * *

Brendan awoke from his slumber and rubbed his eyes. He had some odd dreams the night before and was just glad that they were over. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off that morning. It only took him a second or two to realize that the Ponyta was trying to get out of the barn. He quickly flexed an arm muscle, causing the blood to rush there instead.

With a relieved, he pushed himself out of bed and walked into the bathroom for a shower.

 _What in Arceus name was I dreaming about last night!?_ Brendan thought as he turned on the water and let the warm feeling overtake him.

 _And what that guy said, was it true? I mean...she did seem to be perpetually bored. Maybe it's just her face. Gah! Get ahold of yourself Brendan! She's out of your league anyway,_ Brendan thought as he began to scrub himself.

 _Still...I kinda wanna meet her again. I want to at least know her name. It's not fair darn it, she knows mine!_ Brendan frowned, scrubbing his hair now.

After a quick rinse, he dried off and stepped out to get ready for the day.

 _And what was that look he was talking about. He didn't exactly elaborate on that. Am I missing something here?_ Brendan thought with wide eyes.

 _No, don't overthink it. Just relax, it'll all be fine. Anyway, I need to prepare four my fourth badge. Once again...I am at a disadvantage. I can't use Grovyle in that fight because Flannery will torch him. Poochyena will be in it for sure and Growlithe. But I need a Pokémon that can handle Fire-types well._ Brendan sighed, pulling a shirt over his head.

 _Wait a second! I haven't been to the desert yet! There are Ground-types there. Perfect! Gotta remember to thank May after this,_ Brendan thought as he hurriedly got dressed, putting on his cap before darting out the door.

He darted down the hall to the front desk. The nurse saw him and smiled

"Your Pokémon are all ready to go. Did you have a good rest?" She queried.

"Yep, the beds are really comfortable. I slept soundly," Brendan replied with a chuckle.

"Good to know. Are you headed out now?" She questioned him.

"For the time being. Gonna go to the desert for a bit. I may need to come back afterward though," Brendan informed her.

"Well, I'll be here if you do. Just be safe out there, okay?" She said sweetly and with concern.

"I will! Thanks!" Brendan called back as he took his team and bolted.

* * *

"So they were there huh? Just outside of Mauville?" Courtney asked Miles as she sat in her office with him.

"Yes. And I am fairly certain they went through the path leading out towards Fallarbor Town," Miles replied.

"Did they say anything else?" Courtney questioned.

"Not really. It was all very vague. They may be lacking in the intelligence department, but even they know that it isn't completely safe to disclose things at night. You never know who might be listening," he said casually.

"True. But if they are heading to Fallarbor, there isn't much there except for a Contest Hall and a Prof-" she cut herself off. "Analyzing...that Professor studies meteorites and other subjects related to the cosmos. Perhaps they are going there to speak with him. Maxie must be notified..."

* * *

Brendan soared into the desert on Skarmory. The desert winds were constantly blowing sand around, making it difficult for trainers to have access to it. Luckily for Brendan, he had his goggles. He returned Skarmory and began to look around.

The desert wasn't at all large, but it was,big enough to get lost in for a while. Now that he was there, he had to remember what lived in this desert. There were Trapinc pits he had to be wary of as well as Baltoy. He also knew that Sandshrew and Sandslash were abundant there as well. Now all he needed to do was find one. He trudged through the desert sands. And began his search.

* * *

"Now are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Tim asked as he was ushered out the door by Lucia.

"Of course I will be. I feel much better thanks to you. Please don't worry okay?" Lucia pleaded.

"But you still have a cough and a-"

"My throat's not as bad as before and the cough is dying down. I'm a nurse remember? I can do the rest. You've done so much for me already. That and I don't want you to miss out on more if your journey than you have to," She said firmly.

"Okay, if you say so. But if you need me, don't hesitate to contact me, okay?" Tim asked as he snapped a ball off his belt.

"Pidgeot, let's fly!" Tim shouted as he released the bird of prey from her containment.

Pidgeot spread her wings and stretched a little. Tim stroked her head which made her coo and nudge her face into his touch.

"We're getting back into it girl. Take care of me up there okay?" Tim said as he hopled onto her back.

"Good luck love!" Lucia called as Tim prepared for takeoff.

"Thank you, love ya! See you soon!" Tim replied over his shoulder before lightly kicking Pidgeot's side so she would take off.

Lucia plugged her ears right before an earshattering BOOM resounded. Harsh gusts of wind pulsed outward and blew her hair all over the place. She sighed and blew hair from her eyes.

 _That Pidgeot never stops showing off. I know that she's the fastest bird in existence, but does she really need to REMIND people like that!?_ Lucia threw her hands up and walked back inside.

* * *

Brendan had been searching for several hours it seemed and wasn't getting anywhere. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a long tube that had a mouth piece on it. He began to suck on it, drawing water down the tube. Inside his backpack was a camel pack. It was filled with cool water and there was plenty of it.

A sigh escaped his lips as he glanced around.

 _Over three hours have passed and still nothing. What's the deal here? I should have found something by now. Am I missing something here?_ Thought Brendan as he drank his water.

As he was about to turn back, he heard a sound behind him. This one stood out from the other desert noises and it was very close. As a matter of fact, he was sure he was right near it. The ground beneath him began to shift. Brendan lept out of the way and grabbed Skarmory's ball. She was the best option for dealing with anything out in the desert.

What came out of the sand wasn't what Brendan was expecting. It was a Sandslash, exactly what he knew to be there, but there was something different about it. The hide was much lighter and the quills were red. Brendan's eyes went wide. This wasn't just a run of the mill Sandslash. This was something much more rare than that!

Sandslash took note of Brendan's presence and turned to face him completely. Brendan swiftly reached down and grabbed Skarmory's ball and released her again. It was high time he got what he came for.

"I've been looking for a Pokémon like you for three hours. I don't know what prompted you to wake up, but it seems that fate has dealt us a fun hand. So let's get to it shall we?" Brendan dialogued.

Sandslash glanced at Skarmory and then back to Brendan, nodding in reply. The quilled Pokémon's claws suddenly shimmered and then were raised up in X formation before sweeping in opposing angles downward.

A multitude of white rings materialized right above the battleground and large boulders came crashing down.

"Steel Wing to defend!" Brendan countered as the Rock Slide rained down.

Skarmory reinforced her wings with a fresh layer of steel and shielded herself from the assault. The rocks hammered into her but did little to penetrate her defenses.

Almost instantly, she flashed forward and nailed Sandslash with her wings, sending the spiked Pokémon spinning through the air. Using this momentum, Sandslash dove back into the sand, only to come up and lash out with claws arcing inwards, laced with green energy. It used X-Scissor. Though the Bug-type attack did little to Skarmory, it did catch her by surprise.

She screeched and blasted Sandslash back towards the sand with a power driven Whirlwind. This created a crater in which Sandslash was pushed into forcibly.

"Take it down, use Drill Peck!" Brendan orfldered.

Skarmory screeched loudly and then plunged towards the crater. Using her speed from the altitude drop, she powered up her beak and aimed a vicious peck straight for Sandslash's belly. Thinking quickly, the quilled Pokémon rolled up and extended his spikes, causing Skarmory to ram her beak into them. Needless to say, she got scratched up a bit in the process.

"Whirlwind him into the air!" Brendan commanded.

Skarmory rapidly flapped her wings and produced a powerful vortex that blasted Sandslash into the sky. Without hesitation, she laced her wings with steel and powered into Sandslash without relent. The ball of spikes crashed into the ground and unravelled himself, revealing Sandslash to be in a daze.

Brendan fired a ball at him and nailed him, the ball opening to absorb the red-quilled Sandslash. It twitched a few times before going still. Brendan darted over to the ball and picked it up.

"Sweet! That's the fifth Pokémon so far. Great job Skarmory!" Brendan commended his friend, stroking her beak affectionately before hopping on her back.

"Think you can fly us back?" Brendan inquired.

Skarmory screeched and spread her brilliant wings and started gaining altitude.

"I guess that's a yes then. Cool, let's head back to Mauville now. We need to get you and Sandslash fixed up," Brendan said as the duo took off for Mauville.

* * *

"Oooookay. I got this. Combusken is totally ready for tomorrow. But...am I ready? Oh what if I'm not?" May said aloud in a nervous manner.

Her gear rang, causing her to snap out of her nervous state and see who it was. It was Brendan.

"Brendan! Hi!" She exclaimed.

"Hey May, how's it going?" Brendan asked casually.

"Greeeaat! Just tweaked my routine. I'm a bit nervous about it though," May sighed.

"Hey, remember what I said? You'll be just fine. Just do your best okay?" Brendan encouraged her.

"You always know how to cheer me up. Thanks Brendan, I will do just that!" May chirped happily.

"Not a problem. I'll see you tomorrow okay? I have some training I need to get done. Bye for now," Brendan said as he hung up.

"Bye Brendan!" May replied, hanging up afterwards.

"Okay, one more time Combusken!"

* * *

Courtney stepped back into her room and began to put on her normal attire. She discarded one of her uniforms to the laundry and was now picking out an outfit to go out for the evening. She would workout for about an hour and then go running. Afterwards she planned to head to the Crooner's Café. That night was another open mic and she generally liked those.

Music stimulated her intellect and it was something she enjoyed. Especially after having to deal with other people all day. Miles was okay since he seemed to be one of the few competent individuals around. She found what she desired and set it aside in her closet.

She turned put her shoes on, laced them up and headed to the workout room where she could hopefully have some peace.

* * *

"Brendan Birch?" The nurse called. "Your Pokémon are read."

Brendan hopped up from the seat he was in and strode to the counter.

"Thanks. Today has been a crazy day so far," Brendan replied with a chuckle.

"Oh? Really now? Do tell," replied the nurse as she took the next trainer's team and sent it away with the Chansey to be healed.

"Well, to sum up, I caught a shiny Sandslash. Talk about luck huh?" Brendan laughed.

"That is lucky. They say the odds of finding those kinds of Pokémon are slim to none. Congrats! Gonna celebrate?" The nurse queried.

"I might head to the Crooner's Café. I just can't get enough of their stuff. It's great!" Brendan said with a grin.

"I agree! Well you have fun!" The nuse replied as more trainers piled in.

"Trust me, I will," Brendan said in reply as he headed out to train.

* * *

 **Bing! Another one down! I just want to give a shoutout to those who have read and reviewed. Thank you so much! You guys are awesome! I really appreciate the support. See you in the next chapter!**


	21. Chapter 21

Lisia walked out of her room in the Slateport City Hotel and walked down the hall to the room she had paid for May. It was a top notch room with furnishings and a hot tub. Lisia knocked on the door and May answered.

"May!"

"Lisia"

The two hugged each other and then pulled apart.

"Ready for tomorrow?" Lisia asked excitedly.

"I sure am!" May exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Super! I just came by to see if you wanted to go for a walk or hang out," Lisia said with a bright smile.

"Of course!" May answered. "Let me get my shoes, give me one sec!"

* * *

Brendan stood on the outskirts of Mauville training his team for the next badge. Sandslash squared off against Grovyle to be able to better guard against Grass-types. Leaf Blade and X-Scissor clashed as the two met, causing a standoff before they broke apart.

Skarmory duked it out with Poochyena and Growlithe with Poochyena using mainly his Thunder Fang. The more electric attacks that were used, the more she would know, and in turn, learn how to deal with them.

"Looking good you guys, keep it up!" Brendan coached. "Watch your six Skarmory, Flamethrower incoming! Grovyle, Sandslash, keep that speed going!"

His Pokémon followed his instruction without question. After a while, the spars were stopped and they all took a break to be healed.

"I think that's it for today. We've been at this since noon and I'm hungry. And I know you guys are too. So why don't we call it a day and head back and eat?" Brendan suggested.

All of them were in agreement. Brendan returned his team and headed back to the Pokémon Center to grab a little snack before treating himself to Crooner's Café. He needed to shower and get ready first however. He had been in the desert and trained nonstop. After he fed his team and returned them, he headed to the room to get ready.

* * *

Courtney slipped out of the shower and walked into her room, dropping the towel with no shame whatsoever. The door was locked so she wasn't worried. She slid into her evening attire she'd picked for herself. It was a black dress with thin, vertical lavender stripes that paused a bit above the knee. She slid her legs into black stockings that rose to the knee, leaving some of her cream colored skin exposed. She loosened a few buttons to let her chest breathe a bit.

She slipped on her lavender boots and placed a matching black fedora with a lilac stripe across its front on her head. With that out of the way, she grabbed her purse and team, placing them in her purse, and headed to the café.

* * *

Brendan stepped into the Crooner's Café and heaved a sigh. He had completed the day's training and had a few hours to kill before heading back to Slateport. He made a mental note not to get sidetracked this time. Even if Steven himself wanted a battle, he would keep moving.

Oh who the hell was he kidding? He would take Steven on. He'd probably lose but it would be fun. That was an opportunity that he would find hard to pass up. It was rather busy that night, considering there were only a few seats available. Brendan made his way to the cashier and looked up at the menu.

"Dude, welcome back!" The counter guy exclaimed.

"Thanks," Brendan paused, looking at the name tag since he didn't do that last time, "Mike."

"So, what's it gonna be? We've got some killer steaks tonight. You could have some fries with it too!" Mike recommend.

"That actually sounds good, make mine a medium rare steak with an extra mound of fries. I'm super hungry. Oh and a Razz Berry Pop," Brendan chuckled.

"Okay, your number is right here, number 86, Brendan. It'll be a little while so why don't you have a seat?" Mike said as he took the payment that Brendan was handing him and printed a receipt.

"That sounds good. Thanks," Brendan replied as he took the receipt and headed to a table that had two booths. It was the only one open by the window.

* * *

Courtney pushed the door open to the Crooner's Café and was greeted by the sound of wonderful soothing music. She smiled faintly for a moment before assuming her usual uninterested look. She made her way to the cashier who was a girl this time as Mike was helping out in the back.

"Welcome to Crooner's Café! What can I get you?" The peppy counter girl asked cheerfully.

She's almost too excited to work here.

"I'll take the special with a side salad. Also, a Razz Berry Pop please," she added, taking out her card to pay for the order.

"Okay! Coming right up!" The girl beamed, causing Courtney to raise a brow.

She shrugged as the girl turned away, only to nearly trip over herself as she saw Brendan again. She blinked, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She wasn't. Great. She noticed where he sat and then looked around the dining room. Remembering their last meeting, she smirked and sauntered to his table.

Brendan looked out the window of the café and stared at the sunset. It was beautiful to say the least.

"Is this seat taken?" Came a familiar voice. Shivers ran down Brendan's spine.

Crap.

Brendan looked up to see Courtney looking down at him, her half smiling and half awake face greeting him.

"N-no it's fine. You can sit there," Brendan replied, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Thank you, it's crowded in here. This spot seemed pretty removed from it all," Courtney pointed out.

"Yeah, it is" Brendan fumbled for more words. "So, we meet again huh? I honestly wasn't sure when we would."

"Oh? So you were hoping to see me again huh?" Courtney replied, crossing one leg over the other, bouncing it as she talked.

"Well I-" he was interrupted as a waiter came by with their drinks and food.

"Razz Berry Pop huh? I take it that's your favorite?" Courtney asked as she took up a fork and dug into the salad.

Brendan took a swig for a moment. It was mostly to get rid of the nervous feeling he was experiencing.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" He asked in reply.

Courtney giggled. Arceus it was cute!

"It's been shown in several studies that people order their favorite drinks around 95 percent of the time when they go out. Great choice if I may add," Courtney added, indicating to the meal and drink.

"Thanks," Brendan replied, cutting into his steak and taking the first bite. It was quite possibly the juiciest steak he'd ever tasted. The only thing that beat it was his mother's. Call him biased, but she was a bomb cook.

"Enjoying it I see?" Courtney said as she sipped her drink.

"Y-yeah, I was just really hungry," Brendan stated, taking another mouthful.

 _This is either really coincidental or I just came at the right time. Either way, I have to keep my cool. Focus Brendan, focus!_

"So, last time we met, you said you would tell me your name if we saw each other again," Brendan reminded.

Courtney paused. She did say that didn't she? There was no harm in telling him, she supposed.

"True, I did say that. I wasn't expecting to see you here again so soon, but why not?" She stated, reaching her hand across the table, I'm Courtney."

Brendan, though still fighting his nerves, took her hand and gave his best, confident smile.

"Nice to finally know your name," Brendan replied.

 _Analyzing, processing..._

 _He appears to have been wondering what my name was since I left him here._

 _Interesting..._

"Well it is only fair. I knew your name, and now you know mine," she said with a faint smile, her dreamy lilac eyes boring into him.

Arceus, was she trying to kill him!? Brendan did his best to not lose himself into her hypnotic half shut gaze. He distracted himself with his food and continued to converse with her.

"So, you beat Wattson. I saw the match. You were brilliant," she praised him, causing him to smile.

"Thanks. It was a hard-fought battle, but we came out on top," Brendan replied with a smirk.

 _As will I, Brendan, as will I..._

"I saw. Your Pokémon did a superb job. It was enjoyable to watch. Your family must be proud," Courtney pointed out.

"Yep! They called me afterwards. Mom was so stoked she could hardly contain herself. Dad was happy too," Brendan laughed in reply.

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" Courtney questioned.

"Well, I am heading out soon to go back to Slateport. May is in a contest there and I'm going to root for her," Brendan replied with casual excitement.

"I see, girlfriend?" Courtney asked curiously, feigning interest.

Brendan did his best not to spit out his drink. He swallowed what he had and chuckled. "Actually no. Just friends. We only met at the beginning of the week and I honestly think of her as more of a sister. Why did you ask?"

 _Results...satisfactory. Wait...why am I concerned?_

"No reason," she lied. "Just curious. Isn't it standard protical to swap information amongst friends?"

Brendan shrugged and nodded. "I guess you're right. It is pretty standard," Brendan replied with a smile.

Courtney smiled back and continued to eat. The duo continued to chat.

* * *

May slipped into her sleepwear and crawled into bed. She had a lot of fun with Lisia. They swapped contest ideas and Lisia even gave her pointers for the competition. It was a wonderful day.

Tomorrow's the big day. Mom and dad are gonna be there. Brendan will too! And Lisia will be in the front row! I can't wait! May thought excitedly, a huge smile on her face as she pulled the covers over herself.

Okay May, get it together. You're way too excited. Just calm down and go to sleep.

May slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to dreamland.

* * *

Brendan and Courtney stood outside of the Crooner's Café, their eyes cast towards the sky.

"That was fun, Brendan. We'll have to do it again sometime," Courtney said with a faint smile.

"If I can find you again," Brendan teased.

"Oh trust me Brendan, we're bound to meet again," she said with a smirk.

The wind howled by, carrying secrets untold aloft the skies to the moon above. Only the grass and trees knew what those secrets were. Brendan sighed and reached for Skarmory's ball.

"Well, I'd better go. I want to make it there so I can have enough time to sleep," Brendan said as he released Skarmory.

"Have a safe flight then..." Courtney replied with a slight smile.

Brendan was about to get on Skarmory when he felt her get a bit closer. Without warning she pressed her lips to his cheek and pulled back.

"See you..." She began. "And thanks for the fun conversation..." Courtney turned to walk away, glancing back with a wink as she observed her handiwork.

Brendan took a monent to register what had just happened. He blinked and fumbled mentally for words. A trickle of sweat dripped down the side of his face. He wasn't certain how to react. It then occurred to him that he should really get going.

"Y-yeah..see you later. It was fun," Brendan replied nervously before getting on Skarmory and taking to the skies.

* * *

 **And Courtney makes the first move. Albeit a small one, it was her way to show gratitude for a fun night. That and she's just good at this. I mean, she came onto Ruby/Brendan in the manga for Arceus sake! Anyway, that's twenty one parts in the books with more to come! Next stop is the contest!**


End file.
